ILLINOIS (0-0) at Panther Invite // August 27-28 //  Klotsche Center // Milwaukee, Wis.
Match 1: UC Santa Barbara (0-0)	Friday, Aug. 27 | 12 p.m. CT | Live Video | Radio | Live Stats
Match 2: Milwauke (0-0)	Friday, Aug. 27 | 7 p.m. CT | Live Video | Audio | Live Stats
Match 3: Valparaiso (0-0)	Saturday, Aug. 28 | 5 p.m. CT | Live Video | Radio | Live Stats
Tickets	Buy Here
Printable Notes	Illinois | Milwaukee | Valparaiso
Stats	Illinois | UCSB | Milwaukee | Valparaiso
Series History	UCSB: Illinois trails, 1-2 | Last Match: Illinois won, 3-1, on 8/27/2011 | Streak: Won 1 | Results  Milwaukee: Illinois leads, 4-0 | Last Match: Illinois won, 3-0, on 12/5/2008 | Streak: Won 4 | Results Valparaiso: First Meeting
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Social Media	@IlliniVBall  | #Illini | @IlliniVBall  | Facebook | YouTube

WELCOME TO THE 2021 VOLLEYBALL SEASON

The Illinois volleyball opens its 2021 season on the road in Milwaukee, Wis., for the Panther Invite on August 27-28. The Illini will kick off the season against UC Santa Barbara at 12 p.m. CT and tournament host Milwaukee at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 27, before taking on Valparaiso on Saturday, Aug. 28.

The 2020-21 season marks the 48th season of Illinois volleyball, with the Illini holding an overall record of 1,012-583-7 (.634) and a mark of 456-289 (.612) in the Big Ten. 

Both matches against UCSB and Valparaiso will be streamed via Milwaukee's YoutTube channel, with the Illini's contest verses the host Panthers set to stream on ESPN+. 

Both Friday matches will be on the radio on WDWS 1400 in Champaign and streamed on FightingIllini.com, with Saturday's match an internet-only audio stream on FightingIllini.com.

ILLINOIS VS. THE FIELD

The Illini have played only seven matches collectively against this weekend's compeition. 

Illinois trails in the all-time series with the season-opening opponent, UC Santa Barbara, with the Illini taking a 3-1 win in the last meeting between the two schools on August 27, 2011 in Provo, Utah. 

Illinois leads the all-time series with Milwaukee, 4-0, and last earned a 3-0 sweep of the Panthers on December 5, 2008 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Huff Hall. 

Illinois and Valpo have never met in program history. 

ROSTER RUNDOWN

The Illini return 12 members from the 2020-21 squad, including a pair of "super seniors" in graduate students Megan Cooney - a 2020-21 All-Big Ten Second-Team honoree - and Kylie Bruder, who both received an extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19. Also returning is senior Taylor Kuper, a All-Big Ten First-Team selection a year ago. 

Redshirt-juniors Diana Brown and Bruna Vrankovic, juniors Kennedy Collins, Rylee Hinton and Kyla Swanson, redshirt-sophomore Ellie Holzman, sophomores Raina Terry, Maddie Whittington and Sophie Gregus round out the returnees. 

New to the squad this season is junior Jessica Nunge, a transfer from Florida State and freshmen Sarah Bingham, Caroline Barnes, Becca Sakoda and Brooke Mosher. 

ILLINI SET FOR SEVEN BIG TEN NETWORK APPEARANCES IN 2021

The Big Ten Conference announced its fall volleyball broadcast schedule with Illinois set for seven appearances on the Big Ten Network during the 2021 campaign.  

Illinois fans unable to cheer on the team in person will get their first opportunity to watch the Illini on television on Sept. 3 in their home opener against 2020-21 NCAA National Semifinalist Washington in the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge at 8 p.m. CT.

The lineup also includes six Big Ten matches, including the league opener at Iowa (Sept. 22), Purdue (Oct. 6) in Huff Hall, on the road against Wisconsin (Oct. 9) and Rutgers (Oct. 29) and back-to-back home contests against Nebraska (Nov. 4) and Minnesota (Nov. 6).

BTN's coverage of Big Ten Volleyball is the most expansive in the network's history, with the 2021 schedule including at least 47 matches on television, a new high-water mark for the network, with all non-televised matches scheduled to appear on Big Ten Network+. Another six contests will air on ESPN2 or ESPNU, giving the Big Ten at least 53 matches on linear television during the 2021 season.

All Big Ten Network matches can also be seen through its digital extension, the FOX Sports app, delivering live events and on-demand programming to Big Ten Network customers via the web, smartphones and tablets.

Illinois on the Big Ten Network (all time central):
» Friday, Sept. 3 vs. Washington | 8 PM
» Wednesday, Sept. 22 at Iowa | 6 PM
» Wednesday, Oct. 6 vs. Purdue | 8 PM
» Saturday, Oct. 9 at Wisconsin | 7 PM
» Friday, Oct. 29 at Rutgers | TBD
» Thursday, Nov. 4 vs. Nebraska | 8 PM
» Saturday, Nov. 6 vs. Minnesota | TBD

OPENING DAY SUCCESS

The Illini have had tremendous success on opening night, going 37-10 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 opened its Big Ten Conference-only 2020-21 season with a 3-1 win at Iowa back on Jan. 22 in a unique spring season of Big Ten volleyball. 

Illinois is even more successful in home openers, going 39-8 all time in the first home match of the year. The Orange and Blue have won 22 their last 24 home openers. Since making the move to Huff Hall in 1990, Illinois is 27-3 in the first home match of the season. 

The Illini's 2021 home opener is set for next Friday, Sept. 3 , as they host the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge and will take on No. 4 Washington at 8 p.m. CT in a Big Ten Network-televised match. 

HEAD COACH CHRIS TAMAS STARTS FIFTH SEASON AT THE HELM

Chris Tamas is entering his fifth season as head coach of the Fighting Illini volleyball program in 2021 after being named to the position in February 2017. Tamas (pronounced Thomas) is the eighth head coach in Illinois history.

In his four seasons at the helm of the program, Tamas has made an immediate impact on Illinois volleyball and owns an overall record of 78-40 (.661), including a 47-31 (.603) mark in the nation's toughest volleyball league, the Big Ten Conference, as well as three NCAA Tournament appearances.

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.

BARTSCH-HACKLEY, POULTER & VIRTUE HELP LEAD TEAM USA TO FIRST-EVER OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL 

A trio of former Illinois volleyball greats are now Olympic gold medalists as Michelle Bartsch-Hackley and Jordyn Poulter, along with USA Volleyball assistant coach Erin Virtue, helped lead Team USA to its first-ever gold medal in women's volleyball with a dominating 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 24-14) victory over Brazil at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

It marks the sixth medal earned by the United States in women's volleyball adding to its three silver medals (1984, 2008, 2012) and two bronze medals (1992, 2016).

Bartsch-Hackley and Poulter also become the first Illinois female athletes to earn gold medals and just the third and fourth Illini female athletes to medal at an Olympic Games following bronze medals from Tonya Buford-Bailey in the 400m hurdles at the 1996 Olympic Games and Aja Evans in bobsled at the 2014 Olympic Games.

The United States finished is tournament with a 7-1 record and dominated the playoff matches with sweeps in the quarterfinal, semifinal and championship rounds. For their efforts, five members of Team USA were named to the Olympic Dream Team, highlighted by Bartsch-Hackley being named the Best Outside Hitter and Poulter earning Best Setter of the tournament.

USA controlled the gold medal match from start to finish, with Bartsch-Hackley posting 14 points on 11 kills, two blocks and one ace, while adding three digs and 11 successful receptions. Poulter, who came back from an ankle injury suffered during pool play to set in the semifinals and finals, helped her team to a .418 hitting efficiency. She totaled 36 assists, six digs and one point with a kill.

Bartsch-Hackley was a three-time All-American for Illinois from 2008-11 and led the Illini to the national championship match in 2011. Poulter was also a three-time All-American, including earning first-team accolades as a senior in 2018 as well as being named Big Ten Co-Setter of the Year, AVCA Northeast Region Player of the Year and a finalist for the Honda Award and led the Illini to the program's fourth-ever NCAA National Semifinal appearance. Virtue, who joined the U.S. Women's National Volleyball Team as a consultant coach in 2017 and moved into a full-time role with USA Volleyball in fall of 2018, was an AVCA Honorable Mention All-American setter during her time in the Orange and Blue from 2001-05.