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Post by vbwheatley on Dec 30, 2014 16:34:02 GMT -5
Let's get this started. The Illini will need to turn the page from the Liz McMahon era in 2015. Also leaving is long time starter Anna Dorn at MB and Morganne Criswell at OH. All three had fantastic careers at Illinois and we wish them the best as they continue to new successes. It appears Liz McMahon has already signed a professional contract.
The new arrivals will be:
#3 Jordyn Poulter (S) #10 Ali Bastianelli (MB) #52 Beth Prince (OH/RS)
This is a consensus Top 5 class. This leaves more open questions than Kevin Hambly faced in 2014 when starters returned at all positions except libero. One of the key challenges will be filling that open RS position. With Viliunas coming back at setter for her senior year, it will also be interesting to see whether Poulter challenges and/or if Hambly brings back the 6-2.
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Post by Longhorn20 on Dec 30, 2014 17:03:58 GMT -5
I think that all the freshman will start. Huge upgrade at setter, I think, and Prince is also a solid player. Bastianelli will be great in the middle as well. I will be very disappointed if Hambly runs a 6-2 as it would be a huge waste of an incredible setter.
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Post by hammer on Dec 30, 2014 17:20:41 GMT -5
I think that all the freshman will start. Huge upgrade at setter, I think, and Prince is also a solid player. Bastianelli will be great in the middle as well. I will be very disappointed if Hambly runs a 6-2 as it would be a huge waste of an incredible setter. Speaking of 6-2, isn't Poulter 6'2" tall? If so, I'm not running a 6-2 unless my other setter is kick-ass like Poulter. Poulter is one of the best setters to enter college in the past several years, and you know who that includes.
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Post by vbfanantic on Dec 31, 2014 14:33:38 GMT -5
Maybe they will use Alexis on the RS. She was a decent hitter in club days and she blocks well. Let Poulter run the 5-1. Believe this is the type of change that Wisconsin made with Courtney Thomas when Carlini came in.
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Post by oldmanvb on Dec 31, 2014 14:59:46 GMT -5
During the interview after the LOI signing, Hambly said Beth Prince may play right side.
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Post by jma22 on Jan 1, 2015 13:48:51 GMT -5
Maybe they will use Alexis on the RS. She was a decent hitter in club days and she blocks well. Let Poulter run the 5-1. Believe this is the type of change that Wisconsin made with Courtney Thomas when Carlini came in. I doubt they'd put her in over an actual RS. It's been a long time since she's played as a hitter. Still, I can't imagine Hambly not using her at all her senior year. I imagine she'll get some time playing setter.
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Post by Pasquale on Jan 1, 2015 18:42:31 GMT -5
I'd like to see Stark play on the RS. She looked great last spring and could be very good with Poulter setting a quicker offense. Stark can pass and play defense, which would strengthen our back row (and minimize our substitutions). Prince and Strizak will battle for the other OH position (vacated by Criswell).
Despite the graduation of three starters, Illinois should be competitive next season. Setting and defense/ball control will be very good. Birks returns for her senior season and Strizak was effective on the outside when Criswell struggled. Prince will be very good. We should see an improved middle attack (fingers crossed) with Poulter setting.
Here's the projected roster:
Outside Hitters
Jocelynn Birks, SR, 6'2" Katie Roustio, JR, 6'2" Beth Prince, FR, 6'3" Ali Stark, SR, 6'1" Michelle Strizak, Jr., 6'1"
Middle Blockers
Alison Bastianelli, FR, 6'3" Mattie Bielfeldt, SO, 6'1" Maddie Mayers, JR, 6'4" Kathryn Polkoff, SR, 6'4" Katie Stadick, JR, 6'3"
Setters
McKenna Kelsay, JR, 5'7" Allison Palmer, JR, 5'9" Jordyn Poulter, FR, 6'2" Alexis Viliunas, SR, 6'1"
Defensive Speciaists/Libero
Julia Conard, SR, 5'10" Danielle Davis, JR, 5'9" Brandi Donnelly, SO, 5'8"
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Post by oldmanvb on Jan 1, 2015 19:49:48 GMT -5
There is a potential and maybe even a likelihood that three freshman could start - with two seniors who contributed/started seeing very reduced playing time. Tough challenge for a coach and for the seniors, who have been excellent team players.
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Post by chisovnik on Jan 1, 2015 21:58:02 GMT -5
Stark will ride the bench her senior year, unless she comes in to play backrow for Prince. Everyone always has good things to say about her during the spring/preseason, but she never shows up during the season. I think Hambly puts Strizak at L2 and Prince in the right. Birks, Poulter, Bastianelli, and Stadick are the other starters.
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Post by LovePennState on Jan 1, 2015 22:13:29 GMT -5
All three freshmen will not start. I guess Poulter from the day she gets off the plane, Bastianelli might be in rotation mid-way through B1G, and thatt will be the extent of freshman playing time. Illinois will be pretty good by end of season, but I don't think as strong as this past year.
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Post by oldmanvb on Jan 2, 2015 9:43:35 GMT -5
I agree with Chisovnik. As much as I would like to see Stark succeed on the right side, I think lack of production from that position was one of the many reasons we went from the 6-2 back to the 5-1. It wasn't just the setting. Stark's playing time will probably end up as back row for whoever plays opposite, where she did a good job down the stretch last year. I really don't see one of the current pins moving to the right side. Is there a chance one of this year's middles can make that change? Prince, if healthy, puts up a much bigger block. Bastianelli is an offensive upgrade from Maddie, an area of huge concern according to the VT experts. Current players deserve first shot, and freshmen need some time to adjust, but by the start of the BIG season, I'm pretty certain all three will be starting.
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Post by oldmanvb on Jan 11, 2015 14:00:31 GMT -5
I just watched parts of the Under Armour All American game which is posted in that thread on VT. At 12:05 Jordyn Poulter jump set a slide from about zone 2 or 3, moving away from the right pin, quick and accurate to the middle who was all the way over to the right pin. I don't recall any set like that from an Illinois setter last year, or, for that matter, any other college setter. I believe that she and the middle played together on the national team, so it wasn't something that was done on two or three days practice. Any other setter would have tossed up a high set to the left side. Based on that one set, I now understand why people are so excited and expect her to start right away.
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Post by chisovnik on Jan 11, 2015 23:00:45 GMT -5
I just watched parts of the Under Armour All American game which is posted in that thread on VT. At 12:05 Jordyn Poulter jump set a slide from about zone 2 or 3, moving away from the right pin, quick and accurate to the middle who was all the way over to the right pin. I don't recall any set like that from an Illinois setter last year, or, for that matter, any other college setter. I believe that she and the middle played together on the national team, so it wasn't something that was done on two or three days practice. Any other setter would have tossed up a high set to the left side. Based on that one set, I now understand why people are so excited and expect her to start right away. I was more impressed with Bastianelli. She's going to be a monster in the Big 10.
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Post by Volley1234 on Jan 11, 2015 23:32:46 GMT -5
Is Allison Palmer out of the mix for DS and setter??
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Post by notpriddy (COIF) on Jan 12, 2015 7:31:23 GMT -5
Is Allison Palmer out of the mix for DS and setter?? What does the coaching staff do with Allison Palmer and McKenna Kelsay next season? Both of these players did an excellent job setting in the 6-2 last spring. Both of these players are small and quick, and play very good defense. I don't see any way Brandi Donnelly can be beat out at libero. She had a great freshman season, and possesses all of the tangibles and intangibles that a libero needs to anchor a defense. Defensive specialists Danielle Davis and Julia Conard are also solid. Someone has already posted that Coach Hambly is going to have to make some difficult player choices this upcoming season. This squad will perhaps be the most talented GROUP of players Hambly has had at Illinois. Maybe not the most talented starting rotation, but the most talented group of players. This may make for a difficult upcoming season for Coach Hambly. My impression of Coach Hambly has always been that he is a bit of a "softie", when it comes to dealing with who gets playing time. It differentiates him and coaches like Texas Coach, Jerritt Elliott, from more hard-liners like Nebraska's Coach Cook and PSU's Coach Rose. It always brings to my mind the words of former Illinois and Minnesota coach Mike Hebert when asked how he was going to keep all of his talented players happy. His response was something like, "it is not my job to make my players happy, it is their job to make me happy!"
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