Illinois middle blockers prepare for spotlight
By Wes Hollenberg, Staff Writer
October 26, 2020
In recent years, Illinois volleyball has developed a rich history of excellence at the middle blocker position, with players like Ali Bastianelli and Ashlyn Fleming leaving marks on Illini record books. Now that they’ve both graduated, the team’s next generation of middle blockers — sophomores...
Tamas prepares young team for spring season
By Wes Hollenberg, Staff Writer
October 8, 2020
On Sept. 21, the NCAA Division I Council approved pushing the volleyball season to the spring, with a regular season start date of Jan. 22 and a 48-team postseason tournament rather than the typical 64. While many players and fans were disappointed to have the season flexed to the spring, the extra time ...
Shorter practices may be Illini’s secret to success
By Wes Hollenberg, Staff Writer
September 30, 2020
A typical Illinois volleyball practice looks different from most college programs across the country for one key reason: brevity. Head coach Chris Tamas has brought a ‘less-is-more’ philosophy to the program and now has the results to back it up. One of Tamas’ goals when designing practices is to match th...
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. Illinois volleyball has changed in quite a f...
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...
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...
Newcomers bring new look to Illini volleyball
By Wes Hollenberg, Staff Writer
September 14, 2020
When Illinois volleyball returns, there will be some big shoes to fill due to the loss of four seniors who graduated last year. With the exit of Jacqueline Quade, Caroline Welsh, Beth Prince and Ashlyn Fleming, the team is now beginning to look substantially different from Illinois’ 2018 Final Four rost...
Volleyball goes on without Big Ten, Pac-12
By Wes Hollenberg, Staff Writer
September 8, 2020
Volleyball, along with all other fall sports, has come to a halt in the Big Ten and Pac-12. The three other Power-5 conferences, however, plan for sports to continue. Though the women’s volleyball national championships have been pushed to the spring of 2021, there is now the possibility of a se...
Illini sports continue practice following postponement of season
By Claire O'Brien, Staff Writer
August 25, 2020
Huff Hall, Demirjian Park and Memorial Stadium are going to be empty this fall. The Illini won’t be competing against other Big Ten schools after the conference announced the cancellation of all fall sports Aug. 11. The Pac-12 conference followed suit later that day, and the remaining “Power 5...
Dosunmu, Quade win Dike Eddleman Athlete of the Year awards
By Carson Gourdie, Assistant Sports Editor
May 14, 2020
Illinois men’s basketball guard Ayo Dosunmu and women’s volleyball outside hitter Jacqueline Quade were named Dike Eddleman Athletes of the Year for their past season performances. The award is named after Dike Eddleman, who garnered 11 varsity letters at Illinois. Dosunmu became the first male b...
Best Illini Uniforms: Orange with blue stripe ranks at top of 2019 volleyball jerseys
By Brendyn Jones, On-Air Editor
May 13, 2020
Any Illini fan that has ever been to an Illinois volleyball game at Huff Hall knows how great the atmosphere is. At full capacity, Huff Hall is aggressively loud, and combined with when the fans all come in the same color, the home-court advantage Huff Hall gives has to be great. The aesthetic of the ...
All-time starting six highlights Illini volleyball greats
By Josh Pietsch, Staff Writer
May 8, 2020
Over the years, the Illinois volleyball program has had many impressive seasons. One national championship appearance and four Final Four’s headline their achievements. The Illini have had so much success due to the skilled individuals that have passed through the program. Here are the all-time sta...
