Anyone? Wisc. vs. Illinois on Big 10 Network

[smiley]

To read the Wisconsin posters they didn't play well. I'd like to think that our players were at least partly to blame there. However if that was them not playing well then NOBODY should be able to beat them if they play well. What I saw last night was a VERY good team showing an improved Illini team that they weren't up to an upper level B10 team with lots of senior leadership. I've been coming to matches since '87 and that was a top 10 team last night.

To be a top team leadership is maybe even more important than talent. And it generally comes with time and experience. It's hard to develop when you're young and your line up is constantly shifting due to injuries.

I know the injury situation is driving the caoaches crazy. They keep trying different things and consulting other sources to find a way to break this plague of injuries we have year after year. I know injuries happen to every team but when have them happen to half your team before the conference even starts that can't be normal. 3 before the SEASON started. I'd like to see the national and conference stats on games missed due to injury. There can't be too many teams that beat us in a stat you want to be last in.

[bucky415]

I do think the Illini are on the rise, despite their injuries, which is a good thing for the league. I think they will be back in the NCAAs, which is a good thing for Hardin. He might start to feel a little pressure if they didn't make the field this year, especially since Grentz was pushed out. He has had more success overall than she did and is a lot better to deal with, from all I have heard, but I think the leadership at Illinois is expecting NCAA berths from their high profile women's programs, which is a good thing.

They do seem to have no luck with injuries there, either. Losing Turner (probably) and Hynds to career ending injuries has really set them back, and they have had a slew of injuries within seasons as well. It is good for them that Hardin recruited well and added depth, otherwise, they would really be in a bad position. As it is, I think they still have a team that will be in pretty much every match, except maybe at PSU.

[smiley]

Hardin's job is safe. Hardin is popular while Grentz was dispised. Grentz was the most unpopular coach here for as far back as I can remember.

The team GPA is high, nobody causes problems, attendence is decent, and the program is fan friendly. He fits into Gunther's mold of a coach and he's succesful enough that he'll retire before he's fired and he's nowhere near either.

McCully MIGHT be back in 2 weeks. Henderson's stomach tear is supposedly improving so hopefully we'll get some depth back. A healthy McCully will replace Palash in the front row. With her bad knee Palash has a vertical of about 4". It's a wonder she got any kills at all against the Wisconsin block. Turner's injury is still a mystery so who knows if she'll ever be back. Too bad since her and Debruler would be very strong together.