| No. 16 Illinois vs. No. 6 Wisconsin - IlliNOISE Night - Oct. 4, 2014 |
|---|
Match 15:
No. 6 Wisconsin
|
Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014 | 7 p.m. CT | Huff Hall | IlliNOISE Night
Radio: WDWS 1400 AM | Video | Audio | GameTracker |
| Printable Notes |
Illinois | Wisconsin |
| Statistics |
Illinois | Wisconsin |
| Series History |
Illinois leads 47-31-1 | Last: Illinois won, 3-1, on Oct. 27, 2013 | Streak: ILL 1 | Series Results |
| Tickets |
Season tickets can be purchased online here. Season and single-game tickets can be purchased at the Illinois Ticket Office located at 2141 South Neil Street in Champaign or by calling 1-800-ILLINI-1. Tickets are also available at Huff Hall beginning one hour before every match. For more information, click here. Additionally, complimentary general admission will be granted (while seating lasts) to anyone with a ticket stub from the Illinois-Purdue football game. |
| Social Media |
@IlliniVball  | #Illini | Facebook  | @IlliniVBall  | YouTube  |
BATTLING THE BADGERS
Illinois owns the all-time series with Wisconsin, 47-31-1, including winning 10 of the last 11 matchups. The Illini are 22-12 all-time at home, with their last loss at Huff coming back on Sept. 19, 2007. Illinois defeated Wisconsin in four sets in Madison last season in the pair's only meeting of 2013.
B1G PLAY, BIG NUMBERS
Since the start of Big Ten play, Illinois has been putting up big numbers across the board. As a team, the Illni lead the Big Ten in kills and assists per set during conference play, and rank second in hitting percentage, third in opponent hitting percentage, fourth in digs and fifth in blocks. Individually, Jocelynn Birks leads the conference in kills and points per set and ranks second in aces during conference play, while Liz McMahon is third in points, fourth in kills and eighth in blocks. Brandi Donnelly is second in digs during Big Ten matches, and Katie Stadick is fourth in blocks.
The Illini put up exceptional numbers against No. 18 Minnesota, as Birks and McMahon combined for 36 kills, while Donnelly posted 25 digs in just three sets. Her dig total was the most for an Illini in a three-set match since 1988, and ranks fourth all time overall. Every kill in the match was assisted, and the 54 assists put up in the match tie for fifth in a three-setter in the rally scoring era and are the most since 2005.
When the Illini played Rutgers on Sept. 27, every player with at least one swing hit over .350, while not one Rutgers player broke .300. Alexis Viliunas and Allison Palmer helped guide Illinois to its most efficient match in 11 years, as the Illini's .473 hitting percentage has been topped just once in the rally scoring era, when Illinois hit .475 against Manhattan on Sept. 12, 2003. The Illini serve defense was also lights out on opening weekend, as the Orange and Blue allowed just one service ace to its opponents over the first two matches of Big Ten play (Maryland & Rutgers).
BIRKS NAMED BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jocelynn Birks became the third Illini to earn a Big Ten weekly honor on Sept. 29, garnering Big Ten Player of the Week after averaging 4.5 kills and hitting. 404 against Maryland and Rutgers on Big Ten opening weekend. She tallied a double-double with 15 kills and 10 digs against the Terps, then landed three aces against Rutgers. It marks her sixth career weekly honor and first since 2012, when she took home four Freshman of the Week awards and garnered Player of the Week honors at the Time Warner Cable Texas Invitational.
McMAHON TABS SENIOR CLASS AWARD NOD
Illini opposite hitter Liz McMahon was named one of 30 candidates for the annual Senior CLASS Award, which recognizes student-athletes for outstanding achievements on and off the court spanning four key categories: Classroom, Community, Character and Competition. McMahon is the second Illini to be named a candidate, after Laura DeBruler was a top-10 finalist for the first volleyball award in 2010. McMahon is one of two Big Ten student-athletes on the candidate list, joining Michigan State libero Kori Moster. The list will be narrowed down to 10 finalists in October, and a public online vote will determine the winner, to be announced in December at the NCAA Championship.
ILLINI CAPTURE CREIGHTON CLASSIC CROWN
Illinois closed out nonconference play with a sweep of the Creighton Classic, defeating Creighton (3-1), Colorado (3-1) and South Dakota (3-0). Brandi Donnelly was named its Most Valuable Player, and subsequently Big Ten Freshman of the Week (9/22) after tallying 59 digs, including 23 against the Bluejays.
Katie Stadick earned her first All-Tournament honor by averaging 1.55 blocks and hitting .310 with 18 kills, including posting personal highs with eight blocks and eight kills against Colorado.
Liz McMahon earned All-Tournament honors for the fourth straight week, hitting .256 with 33 kills and 13 blocks on the weekend, including hitting .407 with 13 kills and five blocks against South Dakota.
ILLINI CLAIM BLUE RAIDER BASH TITLE
Illinois went 2-1 with a pair of 3-0 victories to claim its second tournament title of the season on Sept. 12-13. Illinois opened the weekend with a sweep of host Middle Tennessee State, including a 25-11 win in the first set. After leading 2-0 on Virginia Tech, the Hokies surged back to upset Illinois in five sets on Saturday afternoon, but the Illini righted the ship that night with a 3-0 victory over Washington State, to finish 2-1 on the weekend. WSU was the only other team to claim two victories at the Blue Raider Bash, and with the Illini's head-to-head win, the Orange and Blue took home the bragging rights.
Liz McMahon was named to the All-Tournament team for the third straight week, hitting .367 with 36 kills on the weekend, including tallying 18 with a .417 clip against Virginia Tech. Anna Dorn got an All-Tournament nod after stuffing 16 blocks on the weekend, and Jocelynn Birks led the Illini in kills, including 20 vs. Virginia Tech, to claim a third spot on the team.
ILLINI RECORD PERFECT OPENING WEEKEND
Illinois started the 2014 season on a high note, claiming the Illini Classic title with wins over (RV) Long Beach State, Southern Illinois and No. 20 North Carolina without dropping a set. The Illini showed discipline and composure, battling back from down 21-19 in the first two sets against LBSU as well as 19-14 in the first set vs. SIU to go a perfect 9-0 in sets and sweep the tournament.
The Illini led a balanced attack, spreading the ball around fairly evenly to Illinois' four pin hitters, while middle blockers Anna Dorn and Katie Stadick were in the mix as well. The offense was incredibly efficient, hitting .324 on the weekend, while holding the 49ers to .102 and the Tar Heels to just .079.
Jocelynn Birks led the Illini with 32 kills, hitting .310 with 23 digs, to earn all-tournament honors. Fellow-outside Morganne Criswell joined her on the all-tournament team after hitting .333 with 24 kills and just five errors. Opposite hitter Liz McMahon led the tournament by hitting .426 with 24 kills and 10 blocks en route to All-Tournament MVP as well as her first career Big Ten Player of the Week award.
On the defensive end, middle blockers Dorn and Stadick combined for 21 blocks, while Dorn hit .417 with seven kills and Stadick hit .318 with nine. Freshman Brandi Donnelly made her collegiate debut at libero, pacing the Illini back line with 33 digs along with 13 assists. Sophomore transfer Allison Palmer shined in her Illini debut, tallying 55 assists, 17 digs and four aces, while Alexis Viliunas supplemented the 6-2 with 39 assists and 17 digs.
ILLINI TO FACE FORMIDABLE SCHEDULE ONCE AGAIN
Fresh off playing the most difficult schedule in the nation and perhaps one of the most challenging slates ever played in the history of NCAA volleyball in 2013, the Fighting Illini have their work cut out for them once again in 2014, with eight opponents that are ranked in this week's AVCA poll, including three of the top six (No. 1 Stanford, No. 3 Penn State, No. 6 Wisconsin). The Illini have played four matches against teams that are ranked in this week's poll, posting 3-0 wins over North Carolina and Minnesota.
The Illini opened the season at home with 3-0 sweeps of Long Beach State, who was receiving votes, and then-No. 20 North Carolina, who has since moved up to No. 12. Illinois then traveled to California to take on UCLA and Stanford. UCLA was unranked at the time, but entered the polls after defeating the Illini. Illinois took then-No. 2 Stanford to five sets, but lost 15-12, and the Cardinal was rewarded by moving up to No. 1 in the next week's poll, where it has remained ever since.
Illinois returned to the Midwest for the Blue Raider Bash, featuring three teams in the top 100 in the final RPI of 2013; Virginia Tech (66), Washington St. (67), MTSU (87); and went 2-1. Illinois concluded nonconference play with a sweep of the Creighton Classic. Creighton was ranked No. 23 in the preseason poll and was receiving votes at the time of the match, while fellow-2013 NCAA Tournament participant Colorado received votes in the preseason poll.
The Big Ten is stacked once again this season, as six conference members (including Illinois) are ranked in the top 20. Illinois must play No. 6 Wisconsin and No. 8 Nebraska twice, travel to No. 3 Penn State, and host No. 15 Purdue and No. 18 Minnesota. Additionally, the Illini play two matches against Northwestern, who is receiving votes. The Orange and Blue swept the Golden Gophers on Oct. 1 and take on the Badgers this weekend.
According to the final RPI of 2013, Illinois will face nine top-25 teams, including five of the top 10, and has four additional opponents in the top 50. Nineteen of Illinois' 24 opponents can be found in the top 100, and only new conference foe Rutgers (#285) is outside the top 135. The first RPI of 2014 will be released on Oct. 6.
Of the Illini's 24 opponents, 11 qualified for the 2013 NCAA Tournament. All but two of them advanced to the second round, with seven opponents qualifying for Regionals. The Illini will face five of the eight teams that advanced to the Regional Semifinals, including NCAA champion Penn State and NCAA runner-up Wisconsin.
Illinois' non-league opponents hailed from seven different conferences, including four from the powerhouse league of the Pac-12 (2-2). The Illini faced two teams from the ACC (1-1), and defeated squads from the Big East, Big West, Conference-USA, MVC and Summit League.
ILLINI SET NEW AVERAGE ATTENDANCE RECORD IN 2013
• Over 16 home matches in 2013, the Illini brought in the second-largest total fan attendance in school history, with 49,871, and averaged the biggest crowd size ever, bringing in 3,117 fans per match. The 2013 Illini broke the record set in 1992, when Illinois last hosted the NCAA Regional and set a then-NCAA record with 52,666 total fans, averaging 3,098.
• The Illini began the 2014 season just as they left off, when 2,942 fans attended the season opener against Long Beach State and 3,257 packed Huff Hall for the second day of the Illini Classic, to begin the year with an opening-weekend average of 3,152 fans. Through the first six home matches of the year, Illinois ranks third all-time with an average of 2,969 fans per match.
Illinois' all-time top yearly attendance (by average)
Total (Average) - Year - Record
1. 49,871 (3,117) - 2013 - 10-6
2. 52,666 (3,098) - 1992 - 16-1
* 14,490 (2,969) - 2014 - 6-0
3. 33,713 (2,809) - 2012 - 5-7
4. 34,539 (2,657) - 1993 - 11-3
5. 42,068 (2,475) - 2011 - 16-1
6. 31,381 (2,414) - 1996 - 8-5
7. 32,856 (2,347) - 1995 - 10-4
8. 31,391 (2,242) - 1991 - 13-1
9. 33,279 (2,108) - 1988 - 16-0
10. 29,480 (2,106) - 2009 - 14-1
• Illinois is 6-0 at home so far in 2014, going a perfect 18-0 in sets played at Huff Hall. The Illini are 78-19 in front of a home crowd since the start of 2008. Seventeen of the 19 losses came to teams in the top 25, including three to the No. 1 team in the country.
2014 NCAA Attendance Leaders (by average)
Rk. Team - Total - Dates - Avg.
1. Nebraska - 58,525 - 7 - 8,361
2. Hawaii - 65,137 - 10 - 6,514
3. Wisconsin - 21,516 - 5 - 4,303
4. UNI - 14,353 - 4 - 3,588
5. Colorado St. - 18,438 - 6 - 3,073
6. Penn St. - 21,125 - 7 - 3,018
7. Wichita St. - 6,002 - 2 - 3,001
8. Illinois - 14,490 - 5 - 2,898
9. Minnesota - 20,694 - 7 - 2,956
10. Purdue - 22,220 - 8 - 2,778
• Illinois ranks eighth in the nation in average fan support and ninth in total attendance. Six of the top 10 teams attendance-wise are members of the Big Ten.
• Illinois has had 40 home matches in program history with a crowd of 3,000 fans or more, including three of the six home matches so far this season. 3,257 fans packed Huff Hall for the second day of the Illini Classic, including Illinois' sweeps of Southern Illinois and No. 20 North Carolina. The Illini's 2013 home opener was just shy of the 3,000 mark with 2,942. Illinois posted the largest attendance to date on Oct. 1, when 3,325 packed Huff Hall to watch the Illini sweep No. 18 Minnesota on BTN.
• Illinois had five home matches with at least 3,000 fans in both 2012 and 2013, the most since 1992 when 11 of the Illini's 17 home matches featured crowds of 3,000 or more. Illinois' 2011 NCAA finals run included four 3,000+ crowds, including two over 4,000, and three crowds of at least 3,000 were recorded in 1993. The Illini have recorded three, 3,000+ crowds so far in 2014.
ON THE SMALL SCREEN
As a program, Illinois has played on television 156 times over its history. The Illini are 89-67 all-time on the small screen, including 35-41 on national TV.
The Illini are 13-17 all-time on the Big Ten Network, picking up their first BTN win of the year on Oct. 1 against No. 18 Minnesota, and 8-10 on ESPN affiliates. Illinois played on the Pac-12 Network for the first time on Sept. 5-7, but dropped matches to both UCLA and Stanford. Illinois is 1-2 on television so far in 2014.
DOUBLING UP
Three Illini registered double-doubles in the five set match at No. 2 Stanford, each in a different pair of categories. Jocelynn Birks posted the second-most digs in her career, tallying 17 digs and 16 kills for her 25th career double-double. Alexis Viliunas registered her 17th career double-double by notching 32 assists and 10 digs. Morganne Criswell stepped up at the net, registering 16 kills and 10 blocks to record the first kills-blocks double-double in three years. Entering the weekend, Criswell's career high had been just four blocks in a match, but her hard work in the gym paid off as she tied for 12th all-time at Illinois with 10 block assists in the match.
Birks (5) and Viliunas (4) have combined for a total of nine double-doubles so far this season. Birks recorded her second double-double of the year against Virginia Tech, posting her 20th career 20-kill match with 20 kills and 12 digs, then tallied back-to-back 18-kill double-doubles at the Creighton Classic.
The Illini racked up double-doubles in 2013, as 6-rotation players Birks and Viliunas combined for 25 on the season, along with one from Criswell. Birks tallied 11 in 2013, including a streak of four straight from Oct. 18-27, and 13 in 2012, all with 10+ kills and digs. She recorded her first-ever 20-20 match on Oct. 5, 2012, against No. 1 Penn State, notching 23 kills and 20 digs.
Viliunas proved herself a strong defensive setter in 2013, tabbing 14 double-doubles (assists-digs) in addition to two her freshman year. On Oct. 27, 2013, Viliunas put on a spectacular defensive display at No. 16 Wisconsin, posting a career-high 20 digs against the Badgers to record the first assists-digs 20-20 since 2010. She is just the sixth setter since 1990 to register a 20-20, joining Merrill Mullis (1991 at WIS), Carolien Dikhoff (1995 vs. OSU & PSU), Erin Virtue (2003 vs. Akron), Lizzie Bazzetta (2005 & 2006, both vs. Iowa) and Hillary Haen (2010 vs. Michigan) on the list of talented setters.
Criswellregistered a double-double in her first start of 2013 at Duke, notching 14 kills and 11 digs. Additionally, Ali Stark and Allison Palmer both have double-doubles in their careers, as Stark had three kills-digs double-doubles in 2012, and Palmer had 10 assists-digs double-doubles as a setter at Arizona State in 2012.
BIRKS, MCMAHON EARN PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN
Senior Liz McMahon and junior Jocelynn Birks were named Preseason All-Big Ten, as elected by the conference coaches. McMahon was the only Big Ten player to earn her third award, while Birks tabbed the honor for the second straight season.
Birks became the 15th Illini to be named AVCA All-America, earning a Third Team selection in 2013, to go along with AVCA All-Region honors and a unanimous Big Ten selection. Birks was one of six Big Ten players to appear on every preseason all-conference ballot and is the only returning player to have been a unanimous pick at the end of last fall.
The outside hitter totaled 500 kills in 2013 to post her second consecutive season with at least 500, a feat achieved just twice before by members of the Fighting Illini. She finished the season ranked fifth in the Big Ten and 40th in the nation in kills per set, and fourth in the Big Ten and 38th in the NCAA in points. Additionally, her 17 services aces in conference play tied for seventh in the league. After her first two seasons, Birks ranked second in the NCAA among active players in career attacks per set and ninth in kills per set, ranking third among active underclassmen with a total of 1,010 career kills.
McMahon enters her senior season after receiving AVCA All-Region and All-Big Ten honorable mentions in 2013. The 6-6 opposite hitter tallied 391 kills and 100 blocks last fall, posting at least six kills in every match, including 24 double-digit kills performances. The Liberty Township, Ohio, native posted 23 kills, including the final four of the match, to propel Illinois to a tight victory over Arizona State in five sets. She hit her stride in last October, tallying 59 kills while hitting .343 over matches against Ohio State, Northwestern and Wisconsin.
Birks is one of five 2013 All-Big Ten selections returning for 2014, all of whom received unanimous Preseason All-Big Ten honor.
ACADEMIC ANNA
Anna Dorn was named CoSIDA Academic All-District for the second-straight season in 2013, after registering a 3.96 GPA along with her solid play on the court. The fourth-year Kinesiology major was one of just six players in District 5 to be named to the First Team, joining fellow-Big Ten members Kristen Kelsay (MSU) and Faye Adelaja (Purdue). With her second All-District honor, Dorn joins an elite group of just three other Illini who have tabbed multiple First Team honors, a feat most recently met by Director of Operations Johannah Bangert, who is the sole Illini to have three All-District honors, including First Team nominations in 2009 and 2010.
HAMBLY PRODUCES ALL-AMERICANS
Illinois has 25 All-America honors among 16 players in school history. Half of those players earned 13 honors with Kevin Hambly on staff. Three of the five first-team All-Americans have come under Hambly (Laura DeBruler, Colleen Ward, Michelle Bartsch), while current staff members Hillary Haen and Johannah Bangert both earned All-America honors under Hambly as well. Junior Jocelynn Birks returns in 2014 after earning Third Team honors last season.
