Sept. 19, 2006
Champaign, Ill. -
ILLINOIS AT AT GLANCE
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Much at stake in first Big Ten weekend: Although volleyball is the only sport to play 20 Big Ten matches, a full round robin, the first weekend of the conference season gives Illinois a chance to knock off two of the expected contenders in the Big Ten race. Wisconsin and Minnesota were picked second and third, respectively, by the coaches.
• Illinois head coach Don Hardin renews a friendly rivalry with longtime friend Mike Hebert, whom Hardin coached under in the mid 1980s.
• At least six Big Ten teams have qualified for the NCAA Tournament since 1997 with seven in the tourney in 2003 and `04 and eight in 1999 and 2002.
• Illinois has qualified for the NCAA Touranment five times in Don Hardin's 10 seasons. In those five years, the Illini were a combined 56-15 at Huff Hall. In the five years they didn't qualify, they were 34-31 at home. This year Illinois is 3-0 at home.
Inside Illinois non-conference opponents: Illinois played six teams that won its conference a year ago, and another (Loyola), that won its conference tournament. This season those ten teams are a combined 66-50 (.569). Winthrop's only loss was to Illinois and its record stands at 12-1. Wichita State is 10-2.
Wisconsin (9-2) at Illinois (9-1)
When: Sept. 22, 7 p.m.
Where: Huff Hall, Champaign, Ill.
Radio: WDWS Radio (Dave Loane & Steve Layman)
Series Notes: Illinois leads 37-24-1...Wisconsin won both meetings last year, 3-0 in Champaign and 3-2 in Madison.
More on last year's meetings: While Wisconsin won handily in Champaign, Illinois gave the Badgers all they could handle in Madison. The Illini took the Badgers to a decisive game five behind 27 kills from Rachel VanMeter. The Illini led 7-6 in the fifth game, before the Badgers big hitter, Sheila Shaw, who was held in check most of the match, had four kills in helping the Badgers win.
Memorable Illinois moment in series: Illinois won a battle of ranked teams on Nov. 25, 2003 as No. 25 Illinois downed No. 23 Wisconsin 30-19, 30-26, 34-32 in Huff Hall in front of a season-high 2,438 fans.
Minnesota (6-4) at Illinois (9-1)
When: Sept. 23, 7 p.m.
Where: Huff Hall, Champaign, Ill.
Radio: WDWS Radio (Dave Loane & Steve Layman)
Series Notes: Illinois leads the all-time series, 33-21, but Minnesota has won 10 of the last 13 meetings...The Illini won four straight matches from Nov. 29, 1997-Oct. 16, 1999.
More on last year's meetings: Illinois was competitive in the first match in Huff Hall in mid-October. The Illini became the first team to hit over .200 vs. the ninth-ranked Gophers all season. Illinois lost the first two games, 30-27 then took game three 30-24. Rachel VanMeter had 28 kills while the Gophers used 15 blocks in holding off the Illini. By the time the two teams met in Minneapolis during the last weekend of the season, the Illini were decimated by injuries. Rasa Virsilaite further aggravated her already torn menisucs in the match. Holding the Gophers to just a .180 percentage, the Illini were again competitive in the first two games before Minnesota took game three 30-18. Paula Gentil had 24 digs in the three-game victory for Minnesota. VanMeter had 16 kills.
Memorable Illinois moments in series: Illinois nearly upset the Gophers in 2001, falling in five games (15-13 in game five) behind eight aces from freshman Kathleen Bazzetta....The Illini won in five in Minneapolis in 2002 behind 22 kills and a .463 hitting percentage from Sue Webber...Illinois won a thrilling five-game match in 2003 at the Huff, holding off three match points in game four and holding on for a 15-13 win in game five.
Brown, Bazzetta ranks among nation's best: Vicki Brown, who entered last week ranked 13th in the nation in hitting percentage at .451, hit .438 vs. Dayton giving a .449 percentage for the year. That mark also leads the Big Ten.
• Lizzie Bazzetta ranks 10th in the nation in assists per game at 13.61. She increased that to 13.78 with 61 assists vs. Dayton, her third consecutive match with at least 60 assists. Bazzetta had a .523 successful assist percentage on the year.
Bazzetta on torrid assist pace: Bazzetta has 510 assists through the first third of the season. At this pace she would finish with 1,530, which would mark just the eighth time in school history and third since 1989 that an Illinois setter has at least 1,500 assists in a season.
Alde impressive of late: Stephanie Alde has a string of five consecutive matches in double digits in kills. In that span, Alde has 73 kills (3.65 kpg) and a .268 hitting percentage.
Illinois reaches Stuff Huff goal thanks to large student section
The Illini volleyball program set out to break 3,000 in attendance for the first round of the State Farm Illini Classic. The crowd of 3,129 was the largest since Nov. 6, 1993 when the Illini drew 3,161 vs. Minnesota. The crowd was also the first officially over 3,000 since Nov. 6, 1999 when 3,083 saw the Illini take on Penn State.
• Although no records are kept, the crowd was likely the largest student crowd in the history of Huff Hall. A total of 1,682 students used their student IDs to see the Illini take on ISU.
Vicki Brown earns second Tournament MVP honor: Vicki Brown earned the MVP honors at the State Farm Illini Classic after amassing 45 kills and nine blocks.
• Brown earned the same honor after hitting .514 at Marquette.
• Brown has had been in double digits in kills in each of the first six matches and has at least 15 kills in four of the first six.
• In the first match of the Marquette Kick-Off Tournament, Brown had 13 kills with no errors in 15 attempts during the final three games of the match for a .867 attack percentage. She hit .667 overall for the match and .514 for the tournament.
Bazzetta posts double doubles:
Lizzie Bazzetta, who earned a spot on the all-tournament team at the Marquette Kick-Off Tournament, had a pair of double doubles with 57 assists and 14 digs vs. Marquette and 45 assists and 13 digs vs. Loyola. She followed that with 63 assists and 14 digs vs. Wichita State and 62 assissts and 10 digs vs. the College of Charleston and 61 assists and 15 digs vs. Dayton. Bazzetta had six andouble doubles all last season.
Beth Vrdsky featured in Big Ten's 25th Anniversary Video
This year the Big Ten is celebrating the 25th Anniversary of Big Ten Women's Athletics. One of the components of the celebration is a PSA campaign titled "This is My Big Ten Story." The conference selected 11 athletes, one from each school, past or present.
Beth Vrdsky represents Illinois as she tells of her dream of becoming a fighter pilot. One of the top rated cadets in the University of Illinois' ROTC program, Vrdsky received one of a select group of invitation to the competitive Air Force Flight School. She will begin training following graduation next year.
Edinger Top Libero: Ashley Edinger, who will start at the libero position for the Fighting Illini, was named prepvolleyball.com's top libero in the nation as a senior at Michigan City (Ind.) H.S.
The closer: Meghan Macdonald has regained her starting spot in the middle. She had been instrumental in coming into the rotation late in games to help close out the games. Now she is in the regular rotation.
The senior Macdonald has four matches with at least seven kills and is hitting .333 on the year.
• Macdonald is trying to become just the 11th Illini in school history to hit over .300 for her career. Entering this weekend, Macdonald is hitting .287.
Air Force ties: In March, Illinois junior Beth Vrdsky got the news she's been waiting most of her life to hear - she is one of the elite that has been selected into the Air Force Academy flight school. Ever since seeing the movie "Top Gun" as a youngster, Vrdsky has aspired to one day fly a fighter jet.
Vrdsky will finish her career both academically and athletically this season, and will leave for flight school to fulfill her dream. Vrdsky is one of 520 cadets selected into flight school out of all the ROTC programs nationwide. Illinois head coach Don Hardin, an Air Force veteran himself, was there to congratulate Vrdsky.
Reaching 1,000: With 12 digs vs. the College of Charleston, Beth Vrdsky becamse just the seventh player to post 1,000 digs for her career.
BATMAN AND ROBIN PACE ATTACK
Last year, Athletic trainer Randy Ballard compared Vicki Brown and Kayani Turner to Batman and Robin because of their playing styles. The names stuck with media types and the Illini fans even donned outfits from the "cape crusaders."
The duo have been front and center in the Illinois attack this season with Turner leading the team in kills with 166 and Brown having .449 attack percentage with 155 kills. Brown and Turner each set career highs in kills in the Carolina Volleyball Classic. Brown had 24 kills vs. Wichita State, while Turner had 25 kills in the victory over the College of Charleston.
