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Post by notpriddy (COIF) on Aug 28, 2019 8:50:36 GMT -5
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Post by foss on Aug 28, 2019 9:32:32 GMT -5
Maybe too many years as an Illini fan, but I fear expectations for this team may be too high. JP and AB were key cogs to the team. Just fear it could be a repeat of 2012 after a very successful 2011 season with the graduation of two key seniors (Michelle Bartsch and Colleen Ward).
Sorry to be Debbie Downer, but trying to bring another perspective.
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Post by tallguy86 on Aug 28, 2019 10:56:05 GMT -5
Maybe too many years as an Illini fan, but I fear expectations for this team may be too high. JP and AB were key cogs to the team. Just fear it could be a repeat of 2012 after a very successful 2011 season with the graduation of two key seniors (Michelle Bartsch and Colleen Ward). Sorry to be Debbie Downer, but trying to bring another perspective. Expectations may be too high, but that team graduated its two best players who were outsides. That completely changes a team. This team graduated JP, which is going to hurt a lot. But the outsides are intact, so this team will definitely not go 16-14. We’re expected to be 5th in conference. Anything lower than that would be tough to swallow. But anything better better is icing on the cake. A good season would be an elite 8; final four is not something we can count on.
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Post by indyrun on Aug 28, 2019 20:20:27 GMT -5
Maybe too many years as an Illini fan, but I fear expectations for this team may be too high. JP and AB were key cogs to the team. Just fear it could be a repeat of 2012 after a very successful 2011 season with the graduation of two key seniors (Michelle Bartsch and Colleen Ward). Sorry to be Debbie Downer, but trying to bring another perspective. A lot I could say, but "I don't think you could be more wrong" should suffice for now.
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Post by notpriddy (COIF) on Aug 29, 2019 6:44:54 GMT -5
2012 was a version of little engine that just couldn't...finishing 14-16 overall, 8-12 in the BIG. In July, assistant coach Kniffen left the Illini as mens head coach at UC-Irvine. Prior year, assistant coach Miller departed named womens head coach at St. Louis. Illini entered the season ranked #7, opened the season with an 0-3 loss to unranked Dayton, followed with 0-3 loss to #11 Pepperdine. Memorable win - Illini defeated #6 Texas at Texas 3-2. Illini lost 7 matches 0-3 and lost 8 (of 13) 5 game matches. The BIG schedule was brutal with 3 Illini losing streaks. The young Illini team lacked an on the court leader. fightingillini.com/news/2012/12/19/Illinois_Volleyball_Year_in_Review.aspx?path=wvballWith our season opener just a day away, we probably should be focusing on Tennessee rather than looking backwards to what happened 7 years ago. However....I can give you some personal perspective on the opening tournament at Dayton in 2012. I made the journey to Dayton back then to see how the Illini would fare after the amazing national runner-up season. The Illini were now without their two All-American outsides Michelle Bartsch and Colleen Ward. However, we still had senior setter Annie Luhrsen. libero Jennifer Beltran, 6'6" RS Liz McMahon, and middles Anna Dorn and Erin Johnson. How would the Illini do without the point scoring of the combo Bartsch-Ward? As it turned out that first tournament and perhaps the whole season of 2012, what was missing the most was the passing and ball control of power-hitters Bartsch and Ward. B & W were not only prolific point scorers, but they were six rotation outsides, and could both pass like liberos. As I remember both Dayton in the first match and #11 Pepperdine in the second match served Illinois right out of both matches. In both matches Illinois looked like they were not ready to pass and play. Hambly's teams throughout his tenure were never known for their great passing. He was known as a good blocking coach, and we always had some good outsides. Versus Dayton our serve-receive was pretty embarrassing, particularly in the opening set which we lost (14-17-21). In the following morning's match vs. Pepperdine, our passing again let us down (15-21-20). We did salvage our third match of the season at the tourney defeating Ohio (25-23, 19-25, 25-22, 25-18). An interesting note here is that Dayton's coach at the time was Kelly Sheffield whose 2012 team finished the season 27-5 defeating Pepperdine not only in that first tourney 3-1 but later on in the first round of the NCAA tournament 3-2. The Flyers lost to Oregon in the second round at Oregon 0-3.
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Post by notpriddy (COIF) on Aug 29, 2019 11:56:25 GMT -5
Friday's Tennessee match at Thompson Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee, will be televised live by the SEC ESPN channel at 7PM Central Time. On my Comcast Xfinity tv in Champaign the channel is 601.
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Post by notpriddy (COIF) on Aug 29, 2019 12:02:27 GMT -5
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Post by foss on Aug 29, 2019 12:54:48 GMT -5
611 on DirecTV
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Post by brucks on Aug 29, 2019 13:36:40 GMT -5
I think that's Scott Richie doing the interview rather than Ditman (even though the News Gazette implies that it is Ditman). I miss Dave Loane already.
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Post by exit237a on Aug 29, 2019 15:04:22 GMT -5
Happy birthday to the Spike Squad! Love the enthusiasm you bring to Huff Hall and the support you show the Illini. Hope to get rowdy with you guys at home games this season, starting Sunday!
*Also, where do I have to go to get a pair of those orange and blue striped overalls?
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Post by exit237a on Aug 29, 2019 16:12:01 GMT -5
Just noticed that Sunday's home match against Tennessee will be broadcast on BTN! Here's the quote from the "BTN /ESPN schedule - Volleyball" thread:
I hope this means that game will become available and archived on the BTN 2go site!
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Post by brucks on Aug 29, 2019 17:05:39 GMT -5
Thanks 237. Looks like a lot of our games will be televised:
Date Game TV Time (ET) Sept. 1 (Sun.) Tennessee at Illinois BTN 2 p.m. Sept. 5 (Thurs.) Marquette at Wisconsin FS1 8 p.m. Sept. 6 (Fri.) Baylor at Wisconsin BTN 9 p.m. Sept. 13 (Fri.) Stanford at Penn State BTN 9 p.m. Sept. 18 (Wed.) Stanford at Nebraska BTN 8 p.m. Sept. 19 (Thurs.) Washington at Wisconsin FS1 9 p.m. Sept. 20 (Fri.) Pittsburgh at Penn State BTN 8 p.m. Sept. 22 (Sun.) Notre Dame at Michigan ESPNU 3 p.m. Sept. 25 (Wed.) Ohio State at Maryland BTN 7 p.m. Sept. 25 (Wed.) Michigan State at Penn State FS1 8 p.m. Sept. 27 (Fri.) Nebraska at Illinois BTN 8:30 p.m. Sept. 28 (Sat.) Purdue at Minnesota BTN 8 p.m. Sept. 29 (Sun.) Ohio State at Michigan BTN 2 p.m. Oct. 2 (Wed.) Minnesota at Iowa BTN 7 p.m. Oct. 2 (Wed.) Penn State at Wisconsin BTN 9 p.m. Oct. 4 (Fri.) Michigan at Maryland BTN 6 p.m. Oct. 4 (Fri.) Northwestern at Purdue BTN 8 p.m. Oct. 5 (Sat.) Wisconsin at Nebraska BTN 8 p.m. Oct. 6 (Sun.) Illinois at Purdue ESPNU 3 p.m. Oct. 9 (Wed.) Wisconsin at Northwestern BTN 7 p.m. Oct. 9 (Wed.) Minnesota at Illinois BTN 9 p.m. Oct. 11 (Fri.) Michigan State at Nebraska BTN 9 p.m. *Oct. 12 (Sat.) TBD at TBD BTN 8 p.m. Oct. 13 (Sun.) Michigan at Nebraska ESPN2 2 p.m. Oct. 13 (Sun.) Minnesota at Wisconsin BTN 4 p.m. Oct. 16 (Wed.) Indiana at Maryland BTN 6 p.m. Oct. 16 (Wed.) Iowa at Ohio State BTN 8 p.m. Oct. 16 (Wed.) Purdue at Nebraska ESPNU 9 p.m. Oct. 18 (Fri.) Illinois at Wisconsin BTN 9 p.m. Oct. 20 (Sun.) Penn State at Michigan State ESPN 2 p.m. Oct. 20 (Sun.) Indiana at Iowa BTN 4 p.m. Oct. 23 (Wed.) Rutgers at Ohio State BTN 6 p.m. Oct. 23 (Wed.) Illinois at Penn State BTN 8 p.m. Oct. 25 (Fri.) Minnesota at Michigan BTN 6 p.m. Oct. 25 (Fri.) Nebraska at Indiana BTN 8 p.m. Oct. 26 (Sat.) Nebraska at Purdue BTN 8 p.m. Oct. 27 (Sun.) Minnesota at Michigan State BTN Noon Oct. 30 (Wed.) Indiana at Purdue BTN 6 p.m. Oct. 30 (Wed.) Maryland at Wisconsin BTN 8 p.m. Nov. 1 (Fri.) Michigan at Illinois FS1 8:30 p.m. Nov. 2 (Sat.) Penn State at Nebraska BTN 8:30 p.m. Nov. 3 (Sun.) Minnesota at Purdue ESPN2 1 p.m. Nov. 6 (Wed.) Northwestern at Nebraska BTN 9 p.m. Nov. 14 (Thurs.) Wisconsin at Minnesota BTN 9 p.m. Nov. 22 (Fri.) Nebraska at Minnesota BTN 9 p.m. Nov. 24 (Sun.) Nebraska at Wisconsin BTN 2:30 p.m. Nov. 29 (Fri.) Wisconsin at Penn State BTN 6:30 p.m. Nov. 30 (Sat.) Minnesota at Penn State BTN 8 p.m. * - Wild card selection – matchup to be announced at later date
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Post by notpriddy (COIF) on Aug 29, 2019 17:44:41 GMT -5
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Post by exit237a on Aug 29, 2019 17:57:12 GMT -5
The 2019 Illini
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Post by alt on Aug 29, 2019 20:28:24 GMT -5
The 2019 Illini Why doesnt Illini VB social media post more? I feel as a fan we should be getting more pictures/videos of the team and things like getting to know the players. I feel like fans/future recruits like seeing teams being interactive using social media.
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