by Logan Hanson
fightingillini.com
At the Houlihan's restaurant in the I Hotel last Friday night, a sign read "Welcome Varsity 'I' Family" next to a buffet of stuffed mushrooms, wings and chips and dip. A special group of University of Illinois alumni swapped stories and sipped drinks while sporting their favorite Illinois gear. These alums are former Fighting Illini volleyball players who came back to campus to support their program as it looked to advance to the NCAA Final Four for the first time in seven years.
The Illinois volleyball program has a long history of success. The Fighting Illini have been to the postseason 26 times including seven Elite Eights, four Final Fours, and a national runner-up finish in 2011.
The one thing still missing, a national championship, is still play this year as the 2018 Illini advanced to the Final Four with a thrilling 3-1 victory over Wisconsin Saturday at a raucous Huff Hall.
"[The program] is exactly where I think it should be," said Laura DeBruler Santos, who played for the Orange & Blue from 2007 to 2010, "It's continuing getting better and better. I think Chris [Tamas] is doing a really great job really putting this program, and keeping it, on the map. I think they are going to keep it going this year and have a lot of success the next couple of years."
One of the favorite things that the alumni see in the 2018 team is their ability to play with each other and how confident they look on the court.
"It's just great to see the team competing at such a high level. They are playing with a lot of confidence right now," said Kelly Scherr McClure, who played for the Illini from 1993-1996 as an outside hitter and middle blocker. "We've had a rich tradition of volleyball here, and it's just great to see where the team is at right now and how they are competing for each other."
Being able to play in front of the home crowd has been an exciting experience for the alumni, giving them a chance to return to campus. The Huff Hall crowd was huge factor in both Illini wins over the weekend, and all season as well. The alumni understand the advantage it gives the team, as well as the impact that the team has had on the fans.
The 2018 Fighting Illini advanced to the Final Four in front of a sellout crowd at Huff Hall for Saturday's regional semifinal win over Wisconsin.
"Obviously, getting the regional at home is a big advantage and the fans were awesome," said Mary Egger Tendler (1985-1988), an Illinois Hall of Famer who won a National Player of the Year as an Illini after the 1988 season. "I don't think you can ask for anything more. It's a tribute to what they've done as a program that so many people want to support them. They are a very talented team and they're a group you want to root for."
Although the former players are very proud of their alma mater's performance and where the program is headed, they see this season as the start of something more. It is their hope that this Illini team will be able to reach a place that no previous team has not gotten before.
"I think a [Final Four] appearance is great, but let's just win it all," said Laura Bush, who was a four year letter winner from 1987 to 1990 and went to back to back Final Fours with the Illini in 1987 and 1988. "Let's get over the semifinals, let's get over being a runner up. Let's just get it done, let's just win it and let's win some more. Let's also keep it in perspective that there's some hard work ahead of us and we support whatever happens."
On the Houlihan's wall near the players were a group of words in solid steel letters: friendly, original, animated, diverse, strong, inclusive, fresh and evolving. These words could easily describe the group of women who now composed the volleyball alumni group. They could also be used to describe the 2018 version of Illini volleyball as they look to become the most memorable team in program history.
