t's been much publicized that this edition of the Illini is quick, athletic, and without seniors. After the graduation of four veterans a year ago and the influx of five new players, the junior class now find themselves as the veterans of the group.
"The practices may be a little harder and more intense, but that means we're learning and we're playing that much better," said junior Dawn Vana.
As far as the new-look Illini, Vana said, "(The freshman) were here over the summer. That really helped them with their confidence.I remember what it was like to be a freshman. When you're phenomenal in high school and come to college, it is kind of a shock. We've blended in really well so far. We know that we need them in order win."
The 1998 Gatorade Player of the Year in Illinois, Vana loves to play the game and shows her emotions on the court. " I'm proud of our team when we win and upset when we lose, That's how I play the game. I play it hard. Some people show their emotions more than others. I guess I'm one person who shows it a lot. I'm proud of that fact."
Vana says that the experience she has gained over two years has been valuable. "I'm working now on just being consistent," she said. "Now that I have a couple of years under my belt, I'm more prepared for the season. I can't even remember playing high school, it seems like that long ago."
The team continues to work on repetition in practice. Wednesday's practice focused on becoming comfortable running the offense. The team ran the offense over and over and introduced some in-bounds plays to their repertoire. "We're coming along, but we still need more work," said Head Coach Theresa Grentz. "We continue to review film and concentrate on doing it over and over again until we get it right."
The Courtsiders, the support group of the women's basketball program, held their second annual potluck supper following practice at the Ubben Basketball Complex. Approximately 100 people watched the end of practice, then took time to meet the team. "The group has grown with the energy of the team," said Courtsiders Director Dave Chestnut. "We appreciate the chance to meet the new players and become reacquainted with the older ones while at the same time get fired up for the start of the season."
The emphasis of the first month of the practice is going to be on leadership. If you have a favorite quote on leadership, send it in and if Coach Grentz uses your quote in practice, you will win two tickets to an upcoming home game. Send your quote to grentzshow@athletics.uiuc.edu.
Scrimmage and autograph session this Saturday : The University of Illinois will hold it's annual Orange and Blue scrimmage this Saturday (Oct. 28) at 7 p.m. in the Assembly Hall. The team will scrimmage amongst itself and also against the men's practice squad. The scrimmage itself will last about one hour. An autograph and photo session will follow. This is your opportunity to meet and greet the Fighting Illini.
Ashley Berggren to return to Champaign on Nov. 12: Former Illini All-American Ashley Berggren will return to the Assembly Hall on Saturday No. 12 as a member of the Reebok Lady Stars. The Illini play an exhibition game against the team based out of Indiana at 7 p.m. that night.
Signing Day is Nov. 8 Illinois will announce its next class of recruits at a press conference on the first day of the early signing period on Nov. 8. The press conference can be heard live on www.fightingillini.com
The Illini are inviting teams and groups to practice. The team will sign autographs and take pictures following the practices. To arrange for your team to come to practice, call 217/333-8612.
This week's practice schedule
Thursday: 3-5
Friday: 3-5
Sunday: 4-6
Monday: Off
Tuesday (Oct. 31): 3-5:30 (Practice won't be open to the public until after 5 p.m. that day)
