Redbird Classic Presented by The Edge Apartments
Match 5: Illinois State (5-1)	Friday, September 13, 2019 | 7 p.m. CT | Redbird Arena | Normal, Ill. Video: ESPN+ ($) | Radio: WDWS 1400 | Livestats
Match 6: UCF (5-1)	Saturday, September 14, 2019 | 10 a.m. CT | Redbird Arena | Normal, Ill. Audio: FightingIllini.com (ONLINE ONLY) | Livestats
Match 7: No. 7 Marquette (5-1)	Friday, September 14, 2019 | 7:30 p.m. CT | Redbird Arena | Normal, Ill. Radio: WDWS 1400 | Livestats
Full Match Notes	Illinois | Illinois State
2019 Statistics	Illinois | Illinois State | UCF | Marquette
Series History	Illinois State: Illinois trails, 27-29 | Last: Illinois won, 3-0, on 9/12/1009 | Streak: Won 10 | Results UCF: Illinois leads, 1-0 | Last: Illinois won, 3-0, on 9/15/2012 | Streak: Won 1 | Results Marquette: Illinois leads, 5-0 | Last: Illinois won, 3-0, on 12/7/2018 | Streak: Won 5 | Results
Social Media	@IlliniVball  | #Illini  | Facebook  | @IlliniVBall  | YouTube

ILLINOIS VS. THE FIELD

The Illinois volleyball team heads to the Redbird Classic presented by The Edge Apartments, hosted by Illinois State in Redbird Arena on Friday-Saturday, September 13-14. 

The Illini last faced off against the host Redbirds in 2009 and have won 10-straight despite trailing in the all-time series, 27-29. The Illini swept ISU, 3-0, on September 12, 2009, in the last meeting. 

UFC and Illinois have met just once in program history, with UI taking a straight-sets victory over the Knights on September 15, 2012. 

The Illini and the Golden Eages have met on five occasions with UI taking all five meetings, including last year's 3-0 win in the NCAA Regional Semifinal on December 7. 

ILLINI COMPETE IN B1G/PAC-12 CHALLENGE

The Illini faced off against some top competion in last weekend's Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge, suffering a pair of setbacks to then-No.16 Washington, 3-2, and Colorado (RV), 3-0, in Iowa City, Iowa. 

Senior Jacqueline Quade was named to the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge All-Tournament after leading the Illini offense with 42 kills for a 5.25 kills per set mark on a .368 hitting percentage to go along with seven digs and four blocks.

LAST WEEK STANDOUTS

Along with Quade, redshirt-senior Beth Prince made her 2019 debut, turning in 20 kills on a .283 hitting percentage in the two matches. 

Redshirt-freshman Diana Brown continued her strong play after dishing out 87 assists for 10.88 helpers per set as the Illini hit at a .304 team clip. Brown also notched a team-high 23 digs as well as adding four blocks on the weekend. 

QUADE KILLING IT

Senior Jacqueline Quade has totaled 94 kills in 18 sets for the Illini in 2019 for a 5.22 kills per set average to lead all Big Ten players and rank 10th in the nation.

ILLINI RANKED NO. 14 IN AVCA POLL

The Illinois volleyball team remained in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Coaches Top 25 Poll for the third-straight week, coming in at No. 14 in this week's rankings. The Illini opened the season with a No. 6 preseason ranking, before moving up one spot to No. 5 a week ago. 

Illinois is one of seven Big Ten schools ranked the AVCA Poll and are the fifth-highest behind No. 2 Nebraska. No. 4 Penn State, No. 8 Minnesota and No. 9 Wisconsin, with No. 23 Purdue and No. 24 Michigan. 

Along with their conference foes, the Illini have or will face three other opponents in the top-25, including No. 7 Marquette, No. 12 Washington and No. 19 Colorado, with Tennessee and UCF also receiving votes.

QUADE TABBED UNANIMOUS PRESEASON ALL-B1G

Illinois volleyball senior Jacqueline Quade was named a unanimous Preseason All-Big Ten honoree as voted on by the Big Ten Conference coaches, with the No. 6 Illini picked to finish fifth in the league standings for the second-straight season, the conference announced on August 26.

It is the first such honor for Quade, who collected American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) First-Team All-America honors as well as unanimous All-Big Ten First-Team accolades in a breakout junior campaign.

In her first year as a six-rotation player a season ago, Quade paced the Illini offense with a 4.24 kills per set mark on a .265 hitting percentage, while totaling 625 points on the season to rank sixth in the nation for a 4.73 points per set average. The MVP of the 2018 B1G/Pac-12 Challenge, Quade also registered 254 digs, 63 blocks and 32 service aces on the season. She owned nine double-doubles on the season, as well as registered 10 20-kill matches.

Quade was also named to the NCAA National Championship All-Tournament Team after leading the Illini with 28 kills on a .237 hitting percentage – just one kill off her career-high – and 13 digs in the team's National Semifinal match against Nebraska at the NCAA Final Four last December.

ROSTER RUNDOWN

The Illini return 10 members from the 2018 NCAA National Semifinal squad, including American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-American Jacqueline Quade and All-Big Ten Second-Team honoree Ashlyn Fleming, who join classmates Beth Prince and Caroline Welsh for their senior season in Champaign. 

Juniors Megan Cooney, Morgan O'Brien, Kylie Bruder and Emily Hollowell, sophomore Taylor Kuper and redshirt-freshman Diana Brown complete the returning roster. 

Joining the squad for 2019 are Auburn sophomore transfer Mica Allison, redshirt-freshman Bruna Vrankovic and freshmen Kennedy Collins, Rylee Hinton, Kyla Swanson, Ellie Holzman, Alyssa Eske and Madison Chi. 

HEAD COACH CHRIS TAMAS IN THIRD SEASON AT THE HELM OF ILLINI VOLLEYBALL

Chris Tamas is in his third season as head coach of the Fighting Illini volleyball program in 2019 after being named to the position in February 2017. Tamas (pronounced Thomas) is the eighth head coach in Illinois history.

Tamas made an immediate impact on Illinois volleyball in his first two seasons at the helm of the program and currently owns an overall record of 57-17 (.770), including a 29-11 (.725) mark in the nation's toughest volleyball league, the Big Ten Conference.

Illinois experienced one of its most successful seasons ever in 2018 under Tamas, who was named American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Northeast Region Coach of the Year. The Illini made the program's fourth-ever appearance in the NCAA National Semifinals as the No. 3 overall seed in the tournament – riding a 17-match win streak into the Final Four - and ended the season ranked No. 3 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Coaches Poll. The team registered a 32-4 overall record and finished in second place in the Big Ten Conference with a 17-3 mark, with the 32 victories ranking tied for fourth-most wins in school history.

STRONG SCHEDULE SET FOR ILLINI IN 2019

The 2019 schedule features 29 matches and is highlighted by 11 matches at Huff Hall. This season the Illini will take on another strong slate of opponents with 13 NCAA Tournament participants, including seven Sweet 16 teams and three Elite Eight foes and will face national runner-up Nebraska in their Big Ten Conference opener at home on September 27.

Schedule Notes:
• Ranked in the final 2018 AVCA poll: 14 matches vs. 10 teams, 1 match vs. RV
• 2018 RPI Top 50: 16 matches vs. 12 teams
• 2018 Conference Champions/Tournament Champions: 3 (Illinois State, UCF, Minnesota)

NCAA Tournament:
• Qualifiers: 13 (Tennessee, Washington, Colorado, Illinois State, UCF, Marquette, Loyola Marymount, Nebraska, Purdue, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Penn State, Michigan)
• NCAA Second Round: 10 (Loyola Marymount, Tennessee, Washington, Penn State, Michigan, Marquette, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Purdue, Minnesota)
• Sweet 16: 7 (Washington, Marquette, Penn State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Minnesota)
• Elite Eight: 3 (Nebraska, Penn State, Wisconsin)
• National Runner-Up: 1 (Nebraska | Sept 27)

ILLINI ADVANCE TO FOURTH-EVER NCAA FINAL FOUR IN HISTORIC 2018 SEASON

The Illini are coming off an historic 2018 season that saw the Orange & Blue make the program's fourth appearance in the NCAA National Semifinals after earning the No. 3 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Illini ended the season with a 32-4 overall record – with the 32 wins ranking fourth-most in program history - and finished in second place in the Big Ten Conference with a 17-3 mark.