Nov. 19, 2009

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - It has been common for a number of years in women's basketball. Recently, it has trickled into the women's volleyball world - the use of male practice players. Illinois is one of at least a handful of teams from across the country to follow that trend and the results are noticeable.

"There are things that they do for us that are great," said head coach Kevin Hambly, who played a similar role for the U.S. National Team as an assistant coach. "First, they are physically superior to us - they jump higher, they hit harder and block better. They help us prepare for teams like Penn State and Texas, teams that are more physical than us right now. Secondly, they save jumps from other players. We have them block instead of our girls. Those are maybe 20 block jumps that our girls don't have to make."

To find the right players, Hambly raids the highly regarded men's club team at Illinois. Their role is to push the team to the limit and emulate what the upcoming opponents are going to do.

"Most of us played club for four or five years," said Emmett Culligan, now in his fourth year on the club team.

In addition to male practice players, the program also employs student managers. During his undergraduate studies, Doug Burchett played an added role as a student manager, breaking down film and helping with scouting while occasionally finding time on the floor. After graduating in May, Burchett has stayed with the program as a volunteer assistant while continuing to work out with the team.

"Last year I was trying to decide what direction I wanted my career to go," Burchett said. "I really had a passion for going into coaching so I decided to take the GRE, go to graduate school and get some experience in this field."

Scott Leserman, a current student manager while pursuing a master's degree, was a Division III All-American at Vassar College and a Junior Olympic Gold Medalist.

"The expectations were just to bring a lot of intensity, adrenaline and spirit to the court," practice player Derrick Thron said. "It's understood that when we are in the gym, we give it our effort so that they give it their effort. That makes for a more productive gym experience."

"The men bring a cool culture to the gym, a competitive culture," Hambly said. "We want them to compete and chip at our girls. It's okay if they talk a little trash and get after it. We want them to bring that high level to gym so that it's as game-like as we possibly can get it."

For the practice players, it's a chance to continue to play competitively while at the same time being a part of a nationally-ranked program.

"Before we came to college, we lived, breathed and worked volleyball," Culligan said. "This is just another extension of it."

"Knowing you're part of the culture here and that you're adding something of what this team is about is a really rewarding," Burchett said.

"I feel like I have a little part of their success," said practice player Henry Gotlieb.

The practice players take equal pride at seeing the development of the players across the net.

"When I started playing with the program, I never played middle in my life and now I have been training with the middles and it's fun," Thron said. "Jo (Bangert) has been ranked the top blocker in the nation. It's fun to see the hard hitting we give, what she's able to do and what the team is able to do around her. I personally like practicing against Jo, because she brings a lot of intensity and makes me want to compete against her."

The coaching staff shares some of the tendencies for the upcoming opponents and the men's players try to emulate them.

"We have them change the blocking schemes all the time," Hambly said. " It also means we don't have to have our players trying to run someone else's offense. Our men's players can do that. It gives our players more reps at running what we do."

The men's players have to maintain eligibility and count toward the team's academic score, so Hambly says he must be selective on whom he chooses. Hambly is also hoping to keep the male players coming, even talking to men's club teams around Chicago to see who is coming to Illinois in future years.

"The men's players really enhance the competitive environment we're trying to develop here so we want to keep it going."