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University of Illinois Athletics

2017 Volleyball Roster

Andy Wenstrand / Illinois Athletics

3 Brandi Donnelly

  • Position Defensive Specialist
  • Height 5-8
  • Class Senior
  • Hometown Williamsville, Ill.
  • High School Williamsville

Biography

Senior - 2017

  • Selected to USA Volleyball's U.S. Collegiate National Team-Minneapolis (CNT-Minneapolis) program
  • 2017 Cardinal Classic All-Tourament Team
  • 2017 B1G Defensive Player of the Week (9/18)
  • Totaled 68 digs for a 5.67 digs per set average at the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational (9/15-16) en route to being named B1G Defensive Player of the Week (9/18).
  • Named to the Cardinal Classic All-Tournament Team after pacing the Illini with 41 digs for a 4.56 digs per set average, including a season-high 18 against Louisville (9/2).

Junior - 2016

  • AVCA Honorable Mention All-America
  • PrepVolleyball.com Honorable Mention All-America
  • AVCA All-Northeast Region Honorable Mention
  • All-Big Ten Honorable Mention
  • Academic All-Big Ten
  • Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (10/17)
  • Billiken Invitational MVP & All-Tournament Team
  • One of only three Illini to start all 31 matches at the libero position
  • Paced the Big Ten and led the Illini with 499 total digs and averaged 4.46 digs per set
  • Led the conference with 4.63 digs per set in league play
  • Totaled 76 assists and 14 service aces
  • Led the team in digs all three matches during the Illini Classic, including 19 against Missouri State (8/27)
  • Registered back-to-back matches with 20 digs or more, with 21 against Stanford (9/3) and 22 at Colorado (9/4)
  • Reached double-digit digs in all but two matches on the season
  • Totaled 20 digs against Rutgers (9/24) for her 20th 20-dig career match
  • Came within one dig of her career-high with 25 at No. 2 Wisconsin (10/8)
  • Registered her fifth double-figure digs outing with 23 against Northwestern (10/15)
  • Tied her season-high with 25 digs against No. 2 Minnesota (11/12) - her 25th career 20-dig match.
  • Posted 21 digs against Ohio State (11/19) - her 26th career contest with 20 or more digs.

Sophomore - 2015

  • Academic All-Big Ten
  • Two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (8/31, 11/9)
  • Shocker Classic All-Tournament Team
  • Only Illini that started all 34 matches at the libero position.
  • Recorded the sixth-most digs in a season with 530 in 2015, averaging 4.34 digs per set which sits seventh-best in a single season.
  • Also posted 96 assists and 14 service aces.
  • Ranked fourth in the Big Ten and 80th in the nation in digs and fifth in the B1G and 116th in the NCAA in digs per set.
  • Led the Big Ten with 331 digs in conference play and ranked third with 4.4 per set.
  • Had nine 20-dig performances to up her career total to 19.
  • Led the team in digs in all but eight matches and recorded double-digit digs in all but three matches.
  • Ranks 10th all-time with 1,105 career digs through her first two seasons.
  • Ranks second all-time with a 4.42 digs per set career average through 250 sets.
  • Registered the 12th 20-dig performance of her career against No. 2 Stanford (24d).
  • Posted the 13th 20-dig performance against No. 10 Arizona State (20 d).
  • Turned in the 14th 20-dig performance of her career at No. 19 Wisconsin (21 d).
  • Came within one dig of her career-high with a season-high 25 digs against No. 3 Penn State, her 15th 20-dig performance of her career.
  • Came within one assist of a career-high with a season-high seven at Purdue.
  • Tied a career-high with three service aces at Purdue.
  • Totaled 24 digs at Northwestern for her 17th 20-dig match of her career.
  • Equaled a career-high with 26 digs against the Wildcats on Nov. 7.
  • Registered her 19th 20-dig total with 21 against No. 10 Wisconsin on Nov. 18.

Freshman - 2014

  • Big Ten All-Freshman Team
  • Three-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week (9/22, 10/6, 11/3)
  • Creighton Classic MVP
  • Fighting Illini Newcomer of the Year
  • Started all 34 matches at libero as a true freshman.
  • Posted the second-most single-season digs in Illini history with 575, adding 131 assists, 20 aces and two kills.
  • Ranked second in the nation among freshmen and 38th overall in total digs.
  • 4th in the Big Ten in digs per set, including third in Big Ten play.
  • Posted 10 20-dig performances, including 26 at then-No. 2 Stanford.
  • Started all three matches of the Illini Classic at libero, totaling 33 digs and 13 assists. Neared a double-double in the 3-set victory over Southern Illinois, tallying nine digs and eight assists.
  • Registered her first 20-dig performance at No. 2 Stanford, tallying 26 digs and five assists against the Cardinal.
  • Recorded her first career kill against Middle Tennessee State, catching the Blue Raiders off guard with a well-placed overpass.
  • Named Most Valuable Player of the Creighton Classic and subsequently the Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Sept. 22 after averaging 5.4 digs per set to lead the Illini to the Creighton Classic Title. Posted 23 digs against Creighton while helping Illinois to record the first match in three years in which the Illini did not allow an ace to its opponent.
  • Recorded the most digs in a three-set match since 1988 by posting 25 along with six assists to lead Illinois past No. 18 Minnesota, 3-0, leading to Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week honors.
  • Posted 19 digs and eight assists against No. 6 Wisconsin, serving up an 11-0 run including two aces to take the third set, 25-11.
  • Tallied 21 digs and a kill at Ohio State.
  • Recorded 14 digs, three assists and a career-high three service aces against No. 5 Penn State.
  • Registered her fifth 20-dig performance with 23 at No. 13 Nebraska.
  • Tallied 24 digs and two service aces in the Illini's win over No. 13 Purdue.
  • Earned her third Big Ten Freshman of the Week honor on Nov. 3 after averaging 4.9 digs on the Michigan trip, including 25 in the four-set win at MSU.
  • Posted 19 digs over the first two and half sets at Northwestern before leaving the match for the first time in her to career due to illness.
  • Tallied 21 digs and an ace in the four-set win over Northwestern.
  • Recorded 22 digs in four sets at No. 2 Wisconsin, and landed an ace to tie the score at 24-24 in the fourth set.
  • Registered 25 digs and eight assists against No. 10 Nebraska, and had two aces vs. Michigan.
  • Put up 27 digs in the NCAA Opening Rounds against Murray State and Iowa State.

High School

  • Four-year outside hitter for Williamsville High School under head coach Stacey Carlson.
  • Led the Bullets to two regional championships, the 2011 county championship and the 2012 sectional championships.
  • Set school records for kills (367) and digs (447) as a senior, after breaking the record for service aces (48) her sophomore year.
  • Sangamo All-Conference First Team: 2011, 2012, 2013; Second Team: 2010.
  • All-Area Player of the Year: 2013.
  • All-area first team: 2011, 2012, 2013.
  • All-state second team: 2013; honorable mention: 2011, 2012.
  • MaxPreps Player of the Week: 2012.
  • PrepVolleyball.com Top 250 Senior Aces.
  • Played club volleyball for Illini Elite Cardinal, placing in the top 20 at AAU Nationals in three-straight seasons 2010, 2011, 2012.
  • Also played three seasons of softball for Williamsville, setting the school record for batting average in 2013 and earning first-team all-conference, first-team all-area and second-team all-state as a junior and leading the Bullets to a second-place finish at 2A State Championships in 2012.

Personal

  • Born on December 29, 1995, in Springfield, Illinois.
  • Daughter of Cathy and Chick Donnelly.
  • Has three older siblings, Brett, Brittani and Brandon.
  • Brother, Brandon, played baseball at Benedictine University.
  • Has five cousins who played college volleyball.
  • Enjoys softball, country music concerts, shopping and going to the beach.
  • Member of National Honor Society.
  • Majoring in kinesiology.

Career Single-Match Highs

K: 1, 3x-last at Nebraska (10/28/16)
TA: 2, 2x-last vs. South Dakota (9/20/14)
PCT: 1.000 (1-0-1), 2x-last at Nebraska (10/28/16)
A: 8, 3x-last vs. Nebraska (11/28/14)
SA: 3, 2x-last at Purdue (10/25/15)
D: 26, 2x-last vs. Northwestern (11/7/15)

Statistics

Season Statistics

Season Statistics

No statistics available for this season.

Career Statistics

There are no statistics available for this player.

Historical Player Information

  • 3

    2014Freshman

    DS
    5'8"
    3
  • 3

    2015Sophomore

    Defensive Specialist
    5'8"
    3
  • 3

    2016Junior

    Defensive Specialist
    5'8"
    3
  • 3

    2017Senior

    Defensive Specialist
    5'8"
    3