2012 Illini Volleyball Thread

[Dan]

# 2012 Illini volleyball schedule
# Illini and Nebraska to play live on ESPN2 on Sunday, Oct. 21 at 2 pm from Huff Hall
# Reserved section (lower level) nearly sold out for Illini volleyball
# Dan Conners hired as assistant coach
# Networkers to host 'Volleyball 697'


Illini coach Kevin Hambly on the 8/4 WDWS Saturday Sportsline.

Players report on the 7th, start practicing on the 8th, start playing (the exhibition Alumni Match) on the 18th.

"I think our team is going to be every bit as talented as we've had since I've been here. We've got some great athletes. But we're going to be young..and we're going to make some young mistakes that we haven't made in the last two years. But I think -- I hope -- we'll be able to overcome that with some athleticism."

"I will say the kids that are returning, the young kids, are totally different than they were -- like Anna Dorn's a different player. Liz McMahon's a different player. Also, kids that no one has seen -- Jocelynn Birks, Morganne Criswell, and Ali Stark -- they've all improved a ton in the spring. So all of our young kids have really stepped up. "

"Most of [the players] were here [in the summer] working out 3-4 days a week."

On the player rotation-
"There's a lot of questions. I have more questions going into this year than we've ever had. But I also feel like we have more answers than we've ever had. We have lots of things that we can do."

Huff Gym renovation update (this is fluid and could change)-
This year: Improve the aesthetics. Update the signage (including adding a Nebraska sign to the list of B1G teams) & update the walls. "Beautify Huff."
Next year: Replace the floor with a state-of-the-art volleyball floor.
Two years: Renovate the seating. Add more seats along the south wall to create a "U" shape with the seating. All lower bowl seats will have seat backs. The upper level will have the old wood seats replaced with bleachers. That's the rough plan at the moment, it could change.

Starts 1:40-
http://www.wdws.com/audio/2012-08-04...ne-8-4-12.html

[Dan]

Big image: http://yfrog.com/z/h6yh2usj

2012 #Illini volleyball team sporting new uniforms http://yfrog.com/h6yh2usj



http://twitter.com/IlliniVBall

[ilphotog]

Never felt so short as I did today! And I'm 5'11".

[danielb927]

Getting pumped up for Stuff Huff already!

[Dan]

Photos: 2012 Volleyball Media Day



facebook.com/illinivolleyball

[illynifan34]

I'm getting excited for their trip to Cincinnati.

[Dan]

Photos: UI Volleyball Media Day 2012



http://www.illinihq.com/multimedia/p...media-day-2012

This program has staying power

The momentum has been increasingly strong since Hambly made the smooth transition for Don Hardin after the 2008 season.

The Illini looked like worldbeaters early in 2010, whipping powers Texas and Penn State, only to see the run disrupted when All-American Laura DeBruler (now on the staff) was sidelined. After that disappointment, seniors Ward and Michelle Bartsch sparked the stunning tournament run in 2011 before losing in the title match to UCLA, 3-1.

Tate

[Percival]

Illinois volleyball will start the season ranked 7 in the coaches poll.

http://www.avca.org/divisions/divisi...oll-8-13-12di/

Slightly high imo but it certainly shows the respect coaches have for Hambly's program.

[Clete1]

Originally Posted by ilphotog

Never felt so short as I did today! And I'm 5'11".

I'm 6'-1" and said the same thing walking across the floor during warmups at the last match I attended. It's not like basketball where you are 45 rows up and can't really judge.

I probably don't need to say it to anyone viewing this thread, but the low cost, proximity to the action, and the high level of play makes volleyball great to see live.

[Thacher_H_Guild]

"You know me; I don't put a lot of stock in the rankings," said Hambly, one of the AVCA's voters this season. "I just care about how we finish at the end of the year.

"Actually, I'm more worried about what our RPI will be."

http://www.illinihq.com/sports/illin...nked-no-7.html

I love that Hambly is not backing off on his high expectations just because they lost a couple of All Americans.

Another tidbit in that article is the "Alumni match" Saturday is going to primarily be an intra-squad match but with Michelle Bartsch playing.

[stevo99]

Originally Posted by Clete1

I'm 6'-1" and said the same thing walking across the floor during warmups at the last match I attended. It's not like basketball where you are 45 rows up and can't really judge.

I probably don't need to say it to anyone viewing this thread, but the low cost, proximity to the action, and the high level of play makes volleyball great to see live.

EASILY the best women's sport to watch live.

[Dan]

New @IlliniVBall posters are in! What do you think? #illini #B1G http://pic.twitter.com/tTjOpaPK



http://twitter.com/IlliniDesign

[Thacher_H_Guild]

[ijustkrushalot]

looking forward to this year, should be able to catch a couple games, going to try and hit both Iowa State games along with the WMU football game in a couple weeks.

After a few football games I'm going to decide whether to go see the Fighting Beckman's play @ Northwestern the saturday after thanksgiving, or go to Illinois/Iowa volleyball.

[Dan]

Illini to Raise National Runner-up Banner Aug. 31
http://www.fightingillini.com/sports...081612aab.html

Exhibition Match to Take Place Saturday
http://www.fightingillini.com/sports...081612aaa.html

[Dan]

Illinois picked fifth in the Big Ten by the conference coaches

Beltran, McMahon Named Pre-Season All-Big Ten

http://www.fightingillini.com/sports...081612aad.html

[Dan]

White Tops Orange Team at Exhibition Match

http://www.fightingillini.com/sports...081812aaa.html

[ijustkrushalot]

1,500 for an exhibition match is pretty good.

Dayton, Pepperdine, and Ohio should be a pretty good warmup next weekend... Pepperdine is ranked #11 in the nation and Dayton is receiving votes

[Thacher_H_Guild]

The offense was definitely behind the defense last night--for both teams.

[GoIllinois]

From what I saw at the Alumni match, I think we're going to have a very good year. I saw great blocking -- really tough d that was very successful against a tall opponent (i.e. ourselves). I liked #2 .. a tough freshman DS. I loved Ali Stark hitting as hard as she was. Morgan was really strong, too. Our middle blockers are super. Erin and Anna are going to be very stable for us. Of course, our setting is going to be strong with an experienced returning setter. My sense is that the new asst coach Dan Conner (I think that's his name) is going to be just as strong as David K. has been the last couple years. Where are the weaknesses??? I can hardly name one. To see the coach's poll put the order as Neb, PSU, Purdue, Minn, Illinois....c'mon, who are they watching! I'm not sure we'll win the B10, but I'll bet anyone a crisp $100 bill that we are better than 5th at the end of the season. (easy money!)

[ilphotog]

I can understand at this point why the coaches put IL at #5, we lost 2 All-Americans and are replacing them with players having little or no experience. I think Illinois's youth may be an issue early on, the fresh-soph classes are very talented just need some games under them. The most promising thing I like about this roster is the depth, and they only lose Erin, Jackie and Taylor after this year. 2013 could be another deep run year.

[ijustkrushalot]

Live stats and video feed for the game tonight:

http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=9789

video: http://daytonflyers.cstv.com/allaccess/?media=326132

[ijustkrushalot]

Illinois being pretty resoundingly destroyed in the first set... down 19-9...

yikes.

[ijustkrushalot]

pretty terrible start to the season... i know DAyton is usually pretty decent, but we look like an average big ten team... too many service errors, not enough block, poor attacking. play significantly better Pepperdine team tomorrow.

down 2-0 at the break... 14-25, 17-25

[UIUC1867]

14-25, 17-25, 21-25

Lots of things need to be worked on (especially the blocking).