University of Illinois
UNCW
Illini Volleyball Heads to Colorado to Open 2018 Season
August 23, 2018 | Volleyball
| Colorado State Tournament | |
|---|---|
| Match 1: UNCW |
Friday, August 24, 2018 | 12 p.m. CT | Fort Collins, Colo. | Moby Arena Radio: WDWS 1400 | Livestats |
| Match 2: Colorado State |
Friday, August 24, 2018 | 8 p.m. CT | Fort Collins, Colo. | Moby Arena Radio: WDWS 1400 | Livestats | Video: Mountain West Network |
| Match 3: Northern Colorado |
Saturday, August 25, 2018 | 8 p.m. CT | Greeley, Colo. | Bank of Colorado Arena Radio: WDWS 1400 | Livestats | Video: PlutoTV |
| Full Match Notes | Illinois | UNCW | Colorado State | Northern Colorado |
| Statistics | Illinois | UNCW | Colorado State | Northern Colorado |
| Series History | UNCW: First Meeting Colorado State: Illinois trails, 0-1 | Last: Illinois lost, 0-3, on 9/15/84 | Streak: Lost 1 | Results Northern Colorado: First Meeting |
| Social Media | @IlliniVball  | #Illini | Facebook  | @IlliniVBall  | YouTube 
|
ILLINOIS VS. THE FIELD
The Illinois volleyball team is set to open the 2018 season at the Colorado State Tournament on August 24-25, taking on UNCW and Colorado State in Fort Collins, Colo., on Friday and Northern Colorado on Saturday in Greeley, Colo.
The Illini will face two new opponents this weekend, playing UNCW and UNC for the first time in program history.
It has been 34 years since the Illini and CSU met on the volleyball court, with the Rams taking the first and only meeting between the two schools during the 1984 season.
ILLINI TABBED NO. 12 IN AVCA PRESEASON POLL
Looking to build on a NCAA Sweet 16 appearance last season, the Illinois volleyball team will open the 2018 campaign ranked No. 12 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Preseason Poll. Illinois joins seven Big Ten schools ranked the AVCA Preseason Poll and are the fifth-highest behind No. 2 Nebraska, No. 4 Minnesota, No. 6 Penn State and No. 9 Wisconsin, with No. 22 Michigan State and No. 23 Purdue also making appearances in the rankings. Additionally, Michigan is receiving votes.
Along with their conference foes, the Illini will face four other opponents in the top-15, including No. 13 Creighton, No. 15 Colorado, No. 17 Washington and No. 25 Colorado State.
ILLINI PICKED FIFTH IN B1G PRESEASON POLL
The Illinois volleyball team was picked to finish fifth in the league standings in 2018, the conference announced on Tuesday (August 14). Reigning NCAA and Big Ten Champion Nebraska was chosen as the conference favorite for the 2018 volleyball season as voted on by the Big Ten coaches, while Wisconsin was picked to finish second and Minnesota was tabbed third. 2017 Co-Big Ten Champion Penn State and the Illini round out the preseason poll in fourth and fifth place, respectively.
POULTER, BASTIANELLI NAMED PRESEASON ALL-B1G
Seniors Ali Bastianelli and Jordyn Poulter were tabbed Preseason All-Big Ten as voted on by the Big Ten coaches. It is the third-straight season Poulter earned preseason all-conference accolades and the second-straight season for Bastianelli.
POULTER: One of main catalysts for the Illini, Poulter has totaled 1,357 assists for a 10.69 assists per set average this season to rank 48th in the nation and eighth in the Big Ten, while leading the Illini to a .276 team hitting percentage. A native of Aurora, Colorado, she also ranked second on the team with 116 blocks and 306 digs, for a 0.91 blocks and 2.41 digs per set average, while also adding 109 kills on a .369 hitting percentage and 16 service aces.
The only player in the Big Ten to rank in the top 15 in assists and blocks in both overall and conference statistics through the end of the regular season, Poulter has registered 13 double-doubles this season to up her career total to 23 and came within one kill of the program's 13th double-double in a win over Iowa on Senior Night. The Preseason All-Big Ten honoree also earned all-tournament accolades at the Cardinal Classic and Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational, including being named tournament MVP in Louisville, and was tabbed Big Ten Setter of the Week on November 16.
BASTIANELLI: After leading the nation in blocks per set a season ago, Bastianelli has continued her success at the net this season, pacing the Big Ten and ranking fourth in the county with 1.60 stuffs per set, while also sitting 30th in the county and fifth in conference with a .378 hitting percentage. Her 199 total blocks – including 19 solo stuffs – also rank first in the league and second in the NCAA. In conference action, Bastianelli continued to shine, ranking third with a 1.39 blocks per set average and eighth with a .344 attack clip.
The Marysville, Michigan, native started in all 34 matches this season, seeing action in all but three sets. Along with leading the Illini in blocks and hitting percentage, she also ranked third with 300 kills for a 2.42 kills per set average and added 40 digs, 11 service aces and four assists on the season. The Preseason All-Big Ten selection also took home all-tournament team honors at the Bobcat Classic – where she was also named MVP – and the Cardinal Classic, while also collecting Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week accolades on August 28.
ROSTER RUNDOWN
The Illini return 12 members from the 2017 NCAA Sweet 16 squad, including American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Americans Jordyn Poulter and Ali Bastianelli, who join classmate Blayke Hranicka for their senior season in Champaign.
Redshirt-junior Beth Prince, juniors Jacqueline Quade and Caroline Welsh and sophomores Megan Cooney, Morgan O'Brien, Emmaline Walters, Kylie Bruder, Emily Hollowell and Lexie Smith complete the returning roster.
Joining the squad for 2018 are freshmen Diana Brown and Taylor Kuper and junior Ashlyn Fleming, who comes to Illinois following two impressive season at the University of the Pacific, the alma mater of head coach Chris Tamas and volunteeer assistant Jen Tamas.
ILLINI SET FOR ANOTHER STRONG SCHEDULE IN 2018
The 2018 schedule features 31 matches, including 13 matches at Huff Hall. This season the Illini will face off against 13 NCAA Tournament qualifiers, including six Sweet 16 teams, two Final Four foes and two matches against 2017 National Champion Nebraska.
Schedule Notes:
• Ranked in the final AVCA poll: 14 matches vs. 10 teams, 1 match vs. RV
• RPI Top 50: 18 matches vs. 14 teams
• 2017 Conference Champions/Tournament Champions: 6 (Colorado State, Bowling Green, Cleveland State, Creighton, Penn State, Nebraska)
OPENING NIGHT SUCCESS
The Illini have had tremendous success on opening night, going 34-10 all time in the first match of the season. Illinois has lost just one season opener since 1999, starting the new millennium with a 12-match winning streak from 2000-2011, before dropping the 2012 lid-lifter at Dayton. Illinois swept Gonzaga at the Montana State Bobcat Classic to open last season.
Illinois is even more successful in home openers, going 37-7 all time in the first home match of the year. The Orange and Blue have won 20 their last 21 home openers, falling for the first time in 20 years last season to then-defending NCAA champion and No. 4-ranked Stanford in the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge. Since making the move to Huff Hall in 1990, Illinois is 25-2 in the first home match of the season.
The Illini's 2018 home opener is set for September 14, as they host Lipscomb at 5 p.m. CT in UI's first match of the Illini Classic.
ILLINI ADVANCE TO NCAA REGIONAL
With a pair of thrilling five-set victories in the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament, the 2017 Illinois volleyball team advanced to the 17th Sweet 16 appearance in program history - eighth in the last 10 years - and the first for head coach Chris Tamas.
The Illini put up a fight against Michigan State, before falling to the Spartans, 3-1 in the NCAA Regional semifinals to end the Illini's postseason run on December 8 in Rec Hall on the campus of Penn State University.
UI finished the first season under head coach Chris Tamas with a 23-11 overall record, tied for fifth in the Big Ten Conference with a 12-8 mark and advanced to their eighth NCAA Regional in the last 10 years.
