Illinois soccer midfielder Vanessa DiBernardo on Tuesday was named one of Soccer America’s 22 most valuable players in Division I competition, landing her second-team honors.
The junior led the Illini in scoring this year with 21 points in 16 games, despite missing the nonconference season because she was competing with the U.S. team in the under-20 Women’s World Cup in Japan. DiBernardo earned the same honor after the 2011 season.
She started the season Sept. 16 against Iowa, scoring on her first shot of the game to help the Illini to a 2-1 win. DiBernardo this season also netted her second career hat trick, scoring all three goals for Illinois in a 3-2 victory against Michigan State.
With her 21 points, she added to her career point total to 87 — third in program history.
DiBernardo earned two Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors last season, including being named first-team all-Big Ten and to the all-Big Ten Tournament team. She also was a finalist for the U.S. Soccer Young Female Athlete of the Year award.
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DiBernardo joins three Big Ten athletes that garnered Soccer America honors this year: Michigan’s Haley Kopmeyer (first team) and Penn State’s Christine Nairn (first team) and Maya Hayes (second team).
Former middle blocker named director of volleyball operations
Illinois volleyball has brought on a former middle blocker to head volleyball operations.
The program announced that Johannah Bangert, who graduated in 2011, will be responsible of coordinating scheduling, assisting visiting teams’ travel and compliance. She will also be a liason for marketing and equipment, and she will be working with Illini Networkers, the program’s booster organization.
Bangert returns to the program after spending a year competing in a Swedish professional volleyball league.
“She’s going to do a great job. Her personality and her skill set fit the job perfectly. She’s eager to do it, and the things about the job excite her, which means that she’ll excel,” head caoch Kevin Hambly said in a statement. “But on another level, it’s great to have a former player be part of the program. She knows what it’s like to be an Illinois athlete; she can help convey that message to the players. She knows what it’s like to be around me, and can help me with the players as well. I’m very excited to see what she brings.”
Bangert finished her Illini career as the Big Ten’s all-time blocking leader and led the nation in blocks in 2008 and 2009. She was a member of three Sweet 16 teams from 2008-10.
