Megan Cooney ready for final run with Illini
By Wes Hollenberg, Staff Writer
September 23, 2020
Illinois senior Megan Cooney is a true veteran. The easy-going outside/opposite hitter has seen Illinois volleyball at some of its highest and lowest points over the past few years, but now she may face her toughest challenge: adapting to change within the program. Over the past couple of years, Illinois v...
NCAA board approves postponement of fall championships to spring
By Gabby Hajduk, Sports Editor
September 22, 2020
The NCAA Division I Board of Directors approved the postponement of fall sports championships to the spring, with the exclusion of football, on Tuesday. The postponement was originally recommended by the NCAA Division I Council last month after several Division 1 conferences halted their fall sports season...
Illini react to Big Ten season return, start of practice
By Josh Pietsch, Staff Writer
September 21, 2020
Wednesday’s announcement of Big Ten football returning this fall has the whole Illini team excited. Before that, however, it was a rough go for the team, which included watching other teams play and numerous amounts of uncertainty regarding their own season. Starting on Sept. 5, players from the Big Ten...
Diana Brown looks to grow into leadership role
By Wes Hollenberg, Staff Writer
September 21, 2020
To some, redshirt sophomore Diana Brown might be labeled as over-competitive or too intense. After all, she models her leadership style after famous star athletes like Michael Jordan and LeBron James and has a self-described “type-A” personality. To Illinois, however, her volleyball savvy and stron...
Big Ten releases 2020 football schedule
By Carson Gourdie, Assistant Sports Editor
September 21, 2020
A clean-shaven Lovie Smith and his football team are back, and hopefully for good this time. After weeks of being told a season would have to wait until the spring, Big Ten presidents came together and decided to bring back a fall season, giving their programs a shot to compete for college football’s ...
Fans express excitement ahead of shortened Big Ten season
By Jackson Janes, Assistant Sports Editor
September 21, 2020
Nov. 30, 2019, should have been a forgettable day in Illinois football history. As rain poured down on a cold fall day, an injury-ridden Illinois team limped into the final regular-season game against in-state rivals Northwestern with a bowl game berth already clinched. Ultimately the Illini fell 29-...
Illini return to practice after long offseason
By Jonah Perez, Staff Writer
September 21, 2020
With last season ending abruptly due to COVID-19, it was relieving for the women’s gymnastics team to finally be back in the practice routine after a long offseason, even if there were changes to the usual protocols. “Previously we came in whenever we wanted and did as we pleased,” said senior Nico...
Passion, work ethic important during Frazier’s time at Illinois
By Brandon Simberg, Staff Writer
September 20, 2020
Throughout his four years at Illinois, Trent Frazier’s passion for the basketball program has never wavered. In an era where players transfer constantly, Frazier decided to stick things out at Illinois through the good and the bad. The West Palm Beach, Florida native certainly could have left the program. H...
Highly-touted freshman Adam Miller looks to bring shooting touch to Illinois
By Brandon Simberg, Staff Writer
September 17, 2020
The prize of Illinois’ 2020 recruiting class was 4-star guard Adam Miller. The Illini offered Miller back in 2016 and had pushed hard to get him, though Miller finally committed to Illinois in November 2019 before signing his letter of intent in April. After diving into film, there's a reason th...
Medical advancements lead to reversal of Big Ten football postponement
By Josh Pietsch, Staff Writer
September 17, 2020
After an announcement came Wednesday morning, the Big Ten will officially be playing football in the fall again. Despite the league deciding to postpone football until the spring in August, a re-vote took place and after a unanimous decision, the season will now start the weekend of Oct. 23-24. Un...
Illinois joins nationwide effort to save athletic programs
September 17, 2020
In a span of just three weeks, the Universities of Iowa and Minnesota and the College of William & Mary announced the discontinuation of their men’s gymnastics programs, among other sports, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Facing multi-million-dollar revenue shortfalls, the universities will field thei...
Illini softball use transfer portal to enhance roster
By Claire O'Brien, Staff Writer
September 17, 2020
The transfer portal is popping. It’s only been around for a couple of years, but the Illinois softball team has added several transfer players to its roster in recent memory. Assistant coach Laura Trout, who has been at Illinois since 2015, has seen a variety of changes in relation to recruiting in h...
