by Mike Koon, Illinois Sports Information

Illini fans have had the tradition over the past a couple of seasons of yelling Van-METER, Van-METER, after every kill from Illini senior Rachel VanMeter. If they did that for every kill of VanMeter's career, it would total 1,529 and counting. The Lexington, Ky., resident has become just the fifth player in Illinois history to reach that plateau and could move up even further with six matches remaining.

For VanMeter that could mean racking up some hardware at the end of the season, like say All-America accolades. Nine Illinois players have been All-Americans, seven on the first, second or third team. While VanMeter admits the thought has crossed her mind, she reiterates, "I'm trying to focus on the matches in front of us. I want to do what ever I can to help our team win."

The 1,500 kills are significant for VanMeter, who tallied just 83 in 20 matches played as a freshman. By contrast, 1988 Honda National Player of the Year, Mary Eggers, had 431 kills as a freshman. Still VanMeter will likely come up just about 100 kills shy of Eggers' school-record 1,761.

Although VanMeter was impressive at times last season -- earning Honorable Mention All-Big Ten as a junior -- she wasn't nearly as dominant as she has been in 2005. The answer to her success has been her work ethic.

"She is the most durable athlete physically as I've ever coached," said Illinois Head Coach Don Hardin. "She certainly works harder than anyone. That comes from the burning desire to be the best she can be."

For VanMeter that hard work came in what was a busy off-season. In the spring, VanMeter traveled to Colorado Springs to try-out for one of the United States National Teams. Then in June she traveled with an 18-member USA Select Team comprised of some of the nation's top collegiate players to Argentina.

"One of the biggest things that I worked on was being flexible and able to adjust to any setter or blocker and to get a kill no matter who is across the court," VanMeter said. "It's a challenge to be able to hit off any setter or get a kill when there is a 6-4 Argentine player across the net who has been playing since she was eight."

That off-season hard work couldn't have been displayed any earlier. In the season opener, VanMeter put forth the top offensive kill output of anyone in the Big Ten this year and one of best in the storied history of Illinois volleyball. She swung for a Redbird Arena record 39 kills as the Illini out-lasted Illinois State in five games.

"It was easy for me that night to tell you the truth," VanMeter recalls. "For some reason I could see the court. I knew what was going to score and what wasn't; I just made plays. I've been trying to replicate that match all season. Freshly off the international play, I had a feel for using the block and figuring out what other players' weaknesses are. The setting was great and that made it easy for me as well."

VanMeter enters this weekend ranked fourth in the nation in kills at 5.67 per game. She has been as high as second at 5.78 throughout they year. It has only been because of being able to spread out the offensive attack that VanMeter's kills numbers haven't been in the six or seven per game range lately. She has had the four highest total of attacks in a match among Big Ten players this year, including 85 at Michigan State.

To illustrate VanMeter's stamina, she says she hasn't even realized how many swings she has taken by the end of those matches. "I approach it like I'm going to go after it no matter how many jumps or how many swings," she said. "I know I can't do anything without the rest of the team. When someone else gets a kill, or makes a save, I try to get them fired up as well."

One of the criteria for post-season honors is how well the individual performs against tough competition. VanMeter's competitiveness has helped her to not back down against some of the best. She had 28 kills, including 11 in one game, to along with nine digs against No. 9 Minnesota and the nation's top libero Paula Gentil.

"When Rachel is in a groove with her hitting, there isn't anyone that can slow her down," Hardin said. "She will leave here as one of the best all-round players we've had."

Looking at the roster heading into the 2005 season, VanMeter and fellow senior Rasa Virsilaite knew they had to be versatile. For VanMeter that has meant really developing her skills as a back row player. She has had two double-doubles, including 27 kills and 11 digs in a near upset at No. 10 Wisconsin.

"I have been training back row since I've been here, but it has never really been an emphasis until this past spring," VanMeter said. "I knew for me it wasn't an option to not make the transition and not to improve. Rasa and I both worked really hard on that in the pre-season and are still working hard on it because I know that if we want to win I have to be willing to play middle back defense."

VanMeter understands how far she has come and far she still needs to go to fulfill her next goal, which is to play professionally. "I remember freshman year playing middle and having no idea," she recalls. "I knew the seniors and the upperclassmen had a different attitude. I definitely have grown in the way that I approach the games and practice."

VanMeter has had the benefit of one of the top coaching staffs in the country with a tremendous amount of national and international experience. Hardin has 18 years as a Division I Head Coach and a number of top-level assistantships. Jen Flynn was the setter for US National Team; Mary (Coleman) Hambly has played professionally; and Kevin Hambly spent four years prior to coming to Illinois as an assistant coach for the United States Olympic Team.

"Since Kevin, Jen and Mary have been here, they have taught me a lot about playing in the international scene," VanMeter said. "They told me I needed to be a complete player, so I have worked on every aspect of my game from setting when the ball's out of position to defense to passing to improving my jump serve. I don't think I would have made as big of an improvement as I have these last two years without them here. They have taken our program to the next level. Even though it's not reflecting in the wins right now, the level of training that we're doing right now is Olympic style and international level training. Eventually that's going to break through."

As far as her future is concerned, VanMeter said, "I'm going to play for the first year and see where I go from there. I'd like another shot at the national team and I'd like to have an offer to play professionally."

"She definitely has the stamina and durability to compete at a high level and to withstand the rigorous training schedule," Hardin said. "She has tremendous family support and that has played a significant role in her progress of becoming the person she is today."

Although VanMeter is starting to prepare for the next chapter in her life, she understands how different it will be from college and how special her time at Illinois has been. "It will be kind of a live or die atmosphere. You either make it or you don't. There's no in between. It's a business. That's something that I'm really going to miss about Illinois, where here I have a family. I have other girls and four coaches who care about me and my success. It's going to be a mental shift. I'm going to even have to mature more to make it through on my own."

Although not hearing it vocally, the shouts of Van-METER, Van-METER will no doubt echo through her mind and bring her back to her days at Illinois.