Aug. 6, 2001

Champaign, Ill. - Showcasing a new scoring system and some innovative rule changes, the 2001 collegiate volleyball season promises to be a memorable one for both the teams and the fans. And with eight letterwinners and four starters returning this fall in Champaign, this season also promises to be an exciting one for the Fighting Illini program. In fact, just heading into the season with a full, healthy roster is enough to make Don Hardin optimistic as he enters his sixth season in charge of the Orange and Blue.

"Last season was unlike any other I've ever experienced in my coaching career as far as the injuries," Hardin said, referring to the loss of three players during the year and finishing the season with just ten active players. "It was also the highest number of five-game matches I've ever been involved with in one season. We had 11 matches last five games, and we performed well in those situations, winning seven. Our players showed a lot of fight and determination last year when dealt some adverse circumstances. They represented our program with pride, which is a testament to them.

"We have almost our entire team returning from last year, and what I like most about this group is their attitude," Hardin continued. "I'm looking forward to the season, because we have a nice blend of experience and youth coming together. I think this team has high expectations and is willing to sacrifice and do whatever it takes to be successful."

Out with the old and in with the new. That's what has happened with the abandonment of the side-out scoring system in favor of a rally-score system where every play is worth a point, regardless of which team holds service. The desire to bring the college game up to speed with international rules necessitated the change. A direct benefit of the switch to rally-score is the competitive, exciting atmosphere that is created.

"We have a great new format sweeping college volleyball this year," Hardin said. "Fan enjoyment is a key factor in this switch, since we have the potential in our sport to really boost the enthusiasm for our fans. The action and scoring moves quickly, there are longer rallies, and the scores of the games will be closer making it very exciting to watch."

Leading the charge into the 2001 season for the Illini are its trio of seniors in Shadia Haddad, Lydia Gard and Amber Lindner. Haddad started every match last season and led the team in kills (491) and digs (371), ranking ninth in the Big Ten in both categories. She registered double figures in kills in 27 of 31 matches, eclipsing the 20+ kill mark 12 times. Haddad also had 21 double-doubles (kills-digs) on the year.

"What has impressed me the most about Shadia is the improvements she's made in her blocking and backcourt defense," Hardin said. "I think this could be a year where she shines with parts of her game that sometimes go unnoticed. She has become one of our best blockers and defensive players and it says a lot about her character because those defensive skills come from heart and determination."

Middle blocker Lydia Gard enters her final season at Illinois riding the wave of a successful spring season. After leading the team in blocks in 2000 with 122, she evolved into an offensive force for the Illini throughout the spring, solidifying her starting spot in the team's rotation this fall.

"Lydia had an outstanding spring and at times was unstoppable on the quick set," Hardin said. "We're looking to get a big offensive punch from Lydia all season long as she seems to have taken her game to another level."

Senior Amber Lindner has become a mainstay in the lineup the past two seasons, rotating in to provide backcourt defense. Lindner's play has been somewhat hampered by injuries, but successful off-season surgery on her knees has her back at full strength. Lindner ranked third on the team with 230 digs and became the team's most aggressive server, leading the Illini with 49 aces to account for the fourth-highest single season total in school history and rank third in the Big Ten.

"Amber has a lot of experience in the role of defensive specialist for us, and that role takes on an added dimension with her accurate serve," Hardin said. "Rally score emphasizes the importance of serving, and Amber has one of the most dangerous and powerful serves in the Big Ten. She has potential to put together streaks of unbelievable serves."

The position where the injury bug hit the Illini the hardest last season was at left side hitter. Sue Webber was averaging 4.1 kills per game until a torn ACL during the opening weekend of Big Ten play sidelined her for the remainder of the season. Webber's replacement, Melissa Vandrey, started off on fire with three matches in double figures in kills. But Vandrey's season was cut short at just seven matches due to a knee injury.

"The good news is that both Sue and Melissa are healthy and will immediately compete for outside hitting positions this year," Hardin said. "They're exciting players offensively and we're anxious to have them back in the lineup."

Hardin will enter preseason workouts without a starting setter. That job is up for grabs between junior Betsy Eiserman and true freshman Erin Virtue. This will be a familiar scenario for Eiserman, who was also locked in a battle for the starting setter job prior to last season. Eiserman eventually won that role, tallying 1,318 assists on the year. Although the collegiate experience factor leans towards Eiserman, Virtue enters Illinois as one of the most successful prep setters in the nation. She led her Saint Francis team to a second place finish in the state of Illinois and is fresh off of a summer where she led her AAU team to the 18-and-under National Championship.

"We again have competition at the setter position, which is always healthy and critical for success," Hardin said. "We have the right blend of some experience and some youth, and this will prove to be a very competitive situation. The key to this year's success will be establishing a starting setter with whom we can win early in the season. This year I think it will be much more clear-cut and will happen early on. But at this point, it's up for grabs."

OUTSIDE HITTER

A number of players will challenge for playing time at the two left side positions and one opposite (right side) position for this year's Illinois team. Senior Shadia Haddad is the most experienced of the left side hitters, averaging 3.9 kills and 2.6 digs over her three-year Illini career. Sophomore Melissa Vandrey amassed 90 kills in just seven matches last season at the left side position and junior Sue Webber was enjoying a terrific season until an injury sidelined her. The lingering question for this year's team is which player will move to the right side. The leading candidates are Webber and a pair of freshmen, Lauren Harks and Jessica Belter. Webber played some right side during Illinois' spring tournaments, while Harks, the MVP of this summer's AAU National Tournament, also has experience there. The right side position often is required to set, and Harks is training as a future setter with the Illini.

MIDDLE BLOCKER

Illinois returns senior starter Lydia Gard at middle blocker, along with a pair of players who saw time at middle during their inaugural seasons in sophomores Lisa Argabright and Shelly O'Bryan. Gard led the Illini in blocking last year, while also hitting over .300 in ten matches. Argabright played in 12 matches as a redshirt-freshman while O'Bryan contributed in 29 contests. In addition to outside hitter, Belter could see time at middle as well. The Illini have perhaps the most size of any group of middle blockers in the Big Ten, with Argabright standing 6-feet, 5-inches, Belter 6-4, O'Bryan 6-3 and Gard 6-1.

SETTER

It's a two-person race between junior Betsy Eiserman and freshman Erin Virtue. After winning the starting job last season, Eiserman averaged 11.85 assists per game to rank seventh in the Big Ten. Virtue, the younger sister of Ohio State setter Katie Virtue, earned All-Tournament honors while leading her Sports Performance team to the AAU National Title in Orlando, Fla. this past summer. Harks will train at setter with the intent of factoring into the mix in future seasons.

DEFENSIVE SPECIALIST

Illinois has talent in the defensive specialist position, led by senior Amber Lindner. Lindner will regularly rotate into the lineup for one of the middle blockers. Freshman Kathleen Bazzetta could make an impact for the Illini right away on defense. This past summer Bazzetta was the captain and played libero on the same AAU National Championship club team as Virtue and Harks.