Illini Volleyball 2025-2026

#78      
JimILL75
Not that I didn't believe you guys, so I watched the quick replay of Mich. state game for my first view of the team. Great all around team, fun to watch! Many good players, first question is how did we ever get Kenna Phelan from Florida state? After watching that little dynamite fly around the floor, doing everything, blocks, spikes and one of the smallest players on the floor. Then I looked at what all she did at Florida State and they had to be crying to lose her, she did everything and stays in the game all the time.

Many good players on this team, pick a favorite, you will enjoy Phelan however. We all like that all out effort type on the Illini teams, basketball, football, even if you're not a volleyball fan watch at least once because people will be talking about her. Some of the bigger power hitters might get the fame, but this lady will win you over with her non stop effort and she loves the game.
 
#79      
oldman
JimILL75 said:
Not that I didn't believe you guys, so I watched the quick replay of Mich. state game for my first view of the team. Great all around team, fun to watch! Many good players, first question is how did we ever get Kenna Phelan from Florida state? After watching that little dynamite fly around the floor, doing everything, blocks, spikes and one of the smallest players on the floor. Then I looked at what all she did at Florida State and they had to be crying to lose her, she did everything and stays in the game all the time.

Many good players on this team, pick a favorite, you will enjoy Phelan however. We all like that all out effort type on the Illini teams, basketball, football, even if you're not a volleyball fan watch at least once because people will be talking about her. Some of the bigger power hitters might get the fame, but this lady will win you over with her non stop effort and she loves the game.
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Florida State runs a 6-2 and planned to substitute her out for an opposite when she hit the front row, which is what they did last year. She wanted to play in a 5-1 system in which she set all the way around. Tamas took a chance on her being able to block even though she is only 5'7". 5-1 setters that size are relatively rare, although not unheard of. She does get picked on a fair amount when blocking, but so far the trade-off has, on balance, worked. They periodically, when serving, will sub her out for a blocker and use another setter for that one rotation.
 
#80      
The Galloping Ghost
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#82      
pruman91
wow , Aguayo with 7 straight service points to bring the Illini back from 5 points down and we close out the 2nd set on an 8-1 run.....sets now tied 1-1............

great job Illini !!!!!!!!!!!.......
 
#83      
pruman91
Illini win the second set 25-23 with Hernandez winning 5 straight serves at a crucial time late in the set and Aguayo winning the final 3 serves to close it out.............2-1 ILLINI !!!!!!!!!!!!.......

Vivian Campbell's serves are 50/50 at best.......Aguayo and Hernandez are serving excellent tonight....Tomkinson already has a new career high in kills with 15....
 
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#84      
pruman91
Illini roar back from losing the first set to win the next 3 sets and get the hard earned victory...........

The Good...................

Tomkinson with career high 17 kills........
Aguayo with 7 straights service points in the second set and great serving all game long............
Hernandez with a crucial 5 point service streak in the 3rd set.............
Philpot is $$$$$$$$$ with that slide around move for numerous kills......

The Bad.....................

Way too many service errors......at least 17 tonight , I think..................
had way to many kill shot's blocked early and throughout 1st set........twerps are at the top in blocking but our setting was way off early in this match........

Illini now 4-1 in conference play......I like it.........a lot......I really really really do !!!!!!!!!.......................................

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life is good........................
 
#86      
oldman
I’m OK with service errors that go long - it is a predictable hazard for hard floating serves to sometimes float long. If you don’t serve tough the other team is able to run their offense in system and will beat you up with their attacks. Serves into the net drive me crazy - the other team doesn’t have to make a decision about whether to play a close serve and there is no good explanation for the mistake other than the fact it is a mistake.
 
#87      
pruman91
The Illini take charge of their match on the road with Rutgers winning the first set by the score of 25-20..........good serving shone out in this first set with 2 Aces and only 1 service error........DeBoer and Aguayo with good kills to gain the advantage.................

LET'S GO ILLINI !!!!!!
 
#88      
pruman91
Continuing their great play the Illini claim the second set by the same score as the first set , 25-20 to lead in the match 2-0....

A healthy amount of kills in this second set by DeBoer with expert setting by Phelan brought the Illini to victory......Let's get the sweep by winning this third set ....................
 
#89      
pruman91
Get out the broom and sweep them scarlett knights to the curb as the Illini take the third and final set 25-23 and win the match........

DeBoer was a force with 17 kills and along with Burbage , Aguayo and Philpot gave rutgers fits all night long with kills , blocks and hustle........

I want to give Burbage and Hernandez special praise....Burbage coming back after missing all last season with a shoulder injury and especially Hernandez who has had a reduction in playing time but shows no sign of pouting ......just excellent team play and great serving..........

WAY TO GO ILLINI !!!!........helps to ease my pain from the FB loss today........the Illini are now 10-5 for the season and 5-1 in B$G conference play............YA-HOOOOOOOO................
 
#94      
oldman
OrangeBlue98 said:
That’s a Big Ten facility? Most of the gyms in my son’s high school conference have more capacity.
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Maryland’s capacity for volleyball is 1500. Their box score for the Illinois match claimed there were 789 in attendance, a number that isn’t born out by the photo. By comparison, Illinois Wesleyan’s Shirk Center (a D3 program) has a capacity of 2680 for sporting events. Their attendance at last night’s match against North Central was 1120. Our attendance at our last home match, Michigan State, was listed at 2967. Personally, I think we would draw more fans if so many of our seats weren’t restricted view - the seats behind the pillars and towards the corner of Huff are simply terrible. There is no reason we shouldn’t regularly draw 4000 if we had a decent arena for volleyball.
 
#95      
pruman91
The Illini take the first set from osu on the road by the score of 25-22.......we rallied from a 17-12 deficit on a 13-5 rally to get the big first set win.......

the play by play announcer for osu has to be the worst play by play person I have heard this year.........letting plays go by with no announcing of the play or players making plays.......jmho.....
 
#96      
pruman91
very disappointing second set with the Illini losing it by a 25-20 count.....first osu " SET " win in last 4 + matches.....Illini's blocking took a nosedive compared to 1st set and kill ratio % was down also........

the osu lefty from Turkey had numerous impressive kills that stopped Illini momemtum to get back into the set ..............

LET'S GO ILLINI !!!!!
 
#97      
pruman91
Illini rally at the end of the third set and take a 2-1 set advantage with a 25-21 set win.........Kayla Burbage with a couple crucial kills and hernandez with an impressive dig propel the Illini to the set victory....

Viv Campbell has really improved her service % as of late and corrected her earlier service error numbers.........

let's close this match out ILLINI !!!!!!!!!!
 
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