Getting to know Kylie

What I do to relax away from volleyball: Paint pottery with Nicole! Its our secret getaway

Favorite Illinois volleyball memory: Lots. However, just playing at Huff Hall is a great memory everytime.

Favorite professional sports team: Cardinals

Favorite restaurants: Penn Station or Houlihans

Nickname: Ky, Karen or Weezy

Career Plans: Become an elementary teacher and coach high school volleyball

Favorite Food: If ketchup was a food it would be that but if not then I'd say grilled chicken

Favorite TV Show: Extreme Makeover Home Edition

Favorite musical group: Mariah Carey

Favorite Movie: Stepmom

What I like most about being a Fighting Illini: Being a role model for so many young girls!

My dream job would be: A marine biologist

If you could visit any place in the world, where would you choose to go and why? Australia because it just seems like a cool place to go!

Tell us about a unique or quirky habit of yours. My socks can never match. I always have 2 different ones on!

If they made a movie of your life, what would it be about and which actor would you want to play you? It would be about a girl who grew up in the country and raised goats for a living who knows nothing about the big suburbs life. HaHa. That's probably what my teamates would say about me anyway, they think it's funny.

If you could have a t-shirt printed with a message, what would it be? Live. Laugh. Love.

One thing most people don't know about you: I'm left-handed when I write and eat but right handed when I play volleyball

At Illinois

2009
• Earned Academic All-Big Ten
• Surpassed the 1,000-kill mark for her career with 14 kills at Minnesota on Nov. 28. Finishes her career with 1,051
• Named to the All-Tournament Team at the State Farm Illini Classic after posting a pair of double-doubles -- 13 kills (.379) and 12 digs vs. Illinois State and 10 kills and 16 digs vs. Saint Louis
• Had 16 double-digit kills matches, including back-to-back matches with 22 and 20 kills vs. Michigan and Purdue
• Ranked 10th in the Big Ten in kills per set during conference matches (3.14)
• Led the Illini in kills at Michigan and tied a career-high with 22 kills at Michigan on Oct. 3. Had five kills and hit .556 in the deciding fifth set.
• Tallied 61 kills combined in the three matches from Oct. 2-9 -- 19 vs. Michigan State, 2 vs. Michigan and 20 vs. Purdue
• Hit .308 with 16 kills at Wisconsin
• Hit .364 with 16 kills and 10 digs at Indiana
• Tallied 15 kills and 14 digs at Ohio State on Nov. 15
• Had 17 kills, including five in the first set, in a four-set win over Dayton in the NCAA Second Round

2008
• Latest addition to the Illini's 20-20 club with 22 kills and 22 digs vs. Minnesota, just the third Illini to accomplish that feat since 1996. • Starting as a pass hitter alongside Laura DeBruler • Tallied 34 kills and 17 digs in three NCAA?matches • Hit team best .333 vs. California in the NCAA Regional Semifinal • Named to the All-Tournament Team at the State Farm Illini Classic after amassing 28 kills and 31 digs in the tournament • Hit a season-best .542 with 14 kills in a three-set victory over Michigan State on Oct. 24 • Totaled 17 kills vs. William & Mary • Had 43 kills at the Tennessee Comcast Classic • Had seven double-doubles on the season, including 15 kills and 13 digs in the victory over Ohio State • Earned Daily Illini Athlete of the Week after posting nine kills and hitting .381 against no. 1 Penn State • Hit over .300 in three matches from Sept. 27-Oct. 4, totaling 24 kills and combining for a .364 hitting percentage • Player of the match vs. Purdue on Nov. 19 after leading the team with 18 kills • Matched her season-best hitting percentage (.542) in the final regular season match with 16 kills in a three-set victory over Northwestern on Nov. 29 • Had 43 blocks for the season, including a career-best six in a victory over Purdue on Nov. 19.

2007
• Battling injury throughout the season, first recovering from an abdominal strain and then a foot injury
• Hit .478 with 13 kills vs. IPFW then had 18 kills in five games against Dayton
• Missed 14 matches from Sept. 1-Oct. 26
• Returned to the starting lineup to send down 21 killsl in two matches, including 12 against Purdue
• Has continued to return to form with 17 kills against Northwestern
• Had 21 kills, including 13 combined in the first two games in near upset of Minnesota on Nov. 23

2006
• Made her first trip in the starting rotation vs. No. 2 Penn State and promptly pounded 19 kills while hitting .265. She had nine kills in 22 attacks in game three • Followed that performance with career-high 22 putaways against Indiana in 54 attempts • Saw action in each of the three matches at the Marquette Kick-Off Tournament, totaling three kills vs. Marquette and Ole Miss • Had 20 or more kills in a match three times, including 21 against Iowa on Nov. 3 • The performance vs. Iowa followed a 20-kill performance vs. Northwestern the match before • Tied for team lead with 15 kills vs. Purdue.

High School
Two-time Champaign News-Gazette All-Area Player of the Year • Three-time All-Okaw Valley Conference performer • Received numerous all-area accolades from the Bloomington Pantagraph, the Decatur Herald & Review, and the News-Gazette • Shattered Clinton High School record for career kills with 1,342, topping the old record of 896 • Her 500 kills in 2004 also is a new record • Playing for head coach Katie Maubach, McCulley was named to eight all-tournament teams in the three seasons • Her career numbers include 1,342 kills, 263 blocks, and 527 digs • Competed for the Illini Elite Club team (coached by Chris Belshe, Lane O'Conner, and Andy Erinss) • Helped the Illini Elite to a third-place finish at the 17U National Division in the Junior Olympics following a fifth-place finish in the 16U division in 2004.

Personal
Born Oct. 20, 1987 • Daughter of Michael and Becky McCulley • Plans to major in elementary education • Member of DOVE • Vacation Bible School helper • Enjoys hiking, swimming and working with kids • Several relatives attended the U of I and her uncle, Kevin Kline, is a professor of animal sciences at Illinois.

Career Statistics

    Year MP  GP  K   E   TA  Pct.    A   SA  SE  RE  DIG BS  BA  TB  BE  BHE    2006    24  62  160 78  475 .173    2   9   10  14  39  6   21  27  2   1    2007    16  57  170 109 499 .122    4   3   12  8   57  0   14  14  0   1    2008    33  123 375 159 1093    .198    5   15  28  33  308 3   40  43  4   0    2009    32  113 346 133 988 .216    13  23  21  35  264 2   43  45  3   0    Total    105 355 1051    479 3055    .187    24  50  71  90  668 11  118 129 9   2
Career Highs

K:  22,3xE:  11, twice, last vs. Michigan (10/3/09)TA: 66 vs. Purdue (10/9/09)Pct:    .615 (9-1-13) vs. Iowa (11/20/09)A:  1, 24x, last vs. Dayton (12/4/09)SA: 3, twice, last at Michigan (10/3/09)D:  22 at Minnesota (11/8/08)BS: 2 vs. Penn State (11/24/06)BA: 5, 3x, last at Wisconsin (10/23/09)TB: 6 vs. Purdue (10/9/09)