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Post by illini88 on Apr 1, 2023 20:48:56 GMT -5
Lots of positives noted - great to see!
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Post by oldmanvb on Apr 1, 2023 21:12:24 GMT -5
Thank you! Unfortunately it only whets my appetite to know more about the team’s makeup and progress. Did anyone’s play show the improvement of a month of spring ball?
I am particularly excited by your description of the passing and defense, and I really look forward to watching Terry play in an offense in which most of the balls she hits are from in system passes with an effective slide or middle. Was there much of a back row attack by Terry? She should have been an all-American last year, and in my opinion would have been if she hadn’t been hitting so many out of system balls into double and triple blocks.
I wonder, if the passing has sufficiently improved if there has been thought to have Terry run a 31 while Kennedy runs a slide. The notion of Terry getting an unblocked swing out of the middle while Kennedy freezes the other team’s middle is really appealing.
Can’t wait for the season to start.
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Post by bucky415 on Apr 1, 2023 21:16:23 GMT -5
Looking toward the fall, it looks like the B1G is as unsettled as I remember having ever seen it in 24 years of fandom, so there is a lot of room for movement, a good thing for the Illini after their injury plagued season last year. Having Collins come back for a fifth year, hopefully fully healthy, is big for them.
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Post by exit237a on Apr 1, 2023 22:18:31 GMT -5
Thank you! Unfortunately it only whets my appetite to know more about the team’s makeup and progress. Did anyone’s play show the improvement of a month of spring ball? I am particularly excited by your description of the passing and defense, and I really look forward to watching Terry play in an offense in which most of the balls she hits are from in system passes with an effective slide or middle. Was there much of a back row attack by Terry? She should have been an all-American last year, and in my opinion would have been if she hadn’t been hitting so many out of system balls into double and triple blocks. I wonder, if the passing has sufficiently improved if there has been thought to have Terry run a 31 while Kennedy runs a slide. The notion of Terry getting an unblocked swing out of the middle while Kennedy freezes the other team’s middle is really appealing. Can’t wait for the season to start. To your first question: I'd say Brooke and Lily showed the most marked improvement of everyone over the course of our two data points (EIU to Notre Dame). Brooke is really taking the reins out there and looks comfortable being that floor leader. Lily already seems to be building good chemistry with Barnes, Raina and Brooke in the back row. Really excited to watch them continue to cohere as a unit. There wasn't much of a back row attack from Raina today- maybe only one or two sets on pipes. Brooke flung several sets back to Kayla on the D ball, though, and they had some success on it. Kayla was taking a lot of aggressive swings from both the front and back row. I like that idea of running a combination play to Raina on a rip. I don't know if folks noticed or remember seeing that D Brown set Brooke on that combination play on consecutive plays in the 2022 season finale at Northwestern. I can confidently say that that was the first time they ran that play all season and may have been the first time since Jacqueline Quade wore the Orange and Blue. I hope we get to see more of that creativity going forward. What I forgot to include in my first post was the observation that this team really seems to be having fun out there. You made the same point after the EIU match. I know it's a small sample size, but it was apparent in both spring matches I got to see. Seems like they've already got good team chemistry and the freshmen and redshirt freshmen are making their mark on the team. Really good to see.
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Post by Pasquale on Apr 1, 2023 22:29:07 GMT -5
Sounds like the intangibles (leadership, chemistry) are coming together nicely. If we remain healthy and pick up a player or two to add depth to the roster, we should be competitive this fall.
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Post by notpriddy (COIF) on Apr 2, 2023 11:45:48 GMT -5
Great to hear all of the positives for this group. I would only caution that Notre Dame did not have a very good regular season. 5 wins and 13 losses in conference...and 10-18 overall. Granted the ACC had two super teams last season, Pitt and Louisville, but I do not think top to bottom was as strong a conference as the B1G.
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Post by Montour Meteor on Apr 2, 2023 21:55:30 GMT -5
How will ‘23 edition of Illini VB compare to ‘22?
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Post by ilalum92 on Apr 3, 2023 0:57:22 GMT -5
How will ‘23 edition of Illini VB compare to ‘22? We went 15-15 last year. I am hoping for 18-12 and a tourney spot, at least the round of 32.
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Post by oldmanvb on Apr 3, 2023 6:48:37 GMT -5
With obligatory preseason optimism, I think we finish about 20-10 and Sweet 16. 8-2 preseason, 12-8 in the B1G. Predictions made with confidence and without the benefit of knowing who we will be scheduled to play.
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Post by exit237a on Apr 3, 2023 16:21:40 GMT -5
How will ‘23 edition of Illini VB compare to ‘22? Significantly different from the 2022 team. Four-year starting setter graduated. Senior starting MB who led the entire Big Ten in hitting percentage (.462) graduated. Starting OH graduated. Starting six rotation opposite at end of season gone (still on the team but going to play setter). Third string MB graduate transfer to Auburn. Only two DS on 2022 roster both gone- medical retirement and transfer portal entry. Too many key roster changes to make any meaningful prediction.
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Post by pointillinois on Apr 4, 2023 16:37:47 GMT -5
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Post by exit237a on Apr 4, 2023 17:59:13 GMT -5
Congratulations to Taylor de Boer on being selected to Canada's U19 NORCECA Pan Am Cup roster!!
Here's the press release:
April 4, 2023 : Volleyball Canada is excited to announce the 12 athletes selected to compete at the 2023 U19 Girls' NORCECA Pan American Cup from May 7 to 15, 2023 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
"It is a really impressive group of young women, and I am excited to see them compete on the international stage," said women’s indoor NextGen coach Carolyn O’Dwyer. "This is a really exciting time for the development of Canadian women’s volleyball as we continue to build the women’s pathway towards podium success at the international level."
The team will train May 4 to 6 in Kitchener, Ontario, before heading to compete in Puerto Rico.
2023 U19 Girls NORCECA Championship Roster
Name, position, province or state
Taylor DeBoer, Outside hitter, BC Sophia Hansen, OH, AB Mary Healy, OH, CA Trinity Shadd-Ceres, OH, ON Lydia Johnson, Opposite, AB Abby Guezen, Opp, AB Ella Piskorz, Middle Blocker, ON Ronnie Dickson, MB, AB Isabella Tehrani, MB, ON Kaiya Tyson, Setter, ON Sophia Magus, Setter, SK Misha Hameed, Libero, AB
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Post by oldmanvb on Apr 4, 2023 18:06:43 GMT -5
If you are going to participate in pre-season prognostication, there are a few simple rules you should be familiar with.
1. Freshmen will exceed expectations; veterans will have break-out seasons. 2. There will not be any injuries; training will improve all measurables. 3. No one on our roster will enter the transfer portal; we will get a transfer who can play multiple positions, shore up our pin positions, and can pass effectively. 4. Team toughness will improve and we will win all our 5 set matches; leadership will develop so that we are always ready to play at the first serve. 5. Weaknesses (such as service receive) will magically be resolved.
Follow these simple rules and your pre-season predictions will fall into place.
I’m certain I’ve forgotten some important rules and welcome your suggestions.
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Post by illini88 on Apr 4, 2023 19:09:30 GMT -5
6. Schedule has us play WI, MN, NE, PSU 1X each and all are home matches.
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Post by notpriddy (COIF) on Apr 4, 2023 19:47:24 GMT -5
Krista Hendrickson Named Assistant Coach for USA Volleyball. The head coach for the U19 USA team is Minnesota's coach Keegan Cook. Cook was Krista's coach when they both were at Washington. Since Cook was hired at Minnesota, I have worried that Cook would try to hire Krista as his assistant at Minnesota and recruiting coordinator. That would really break my Illini-orange heart!
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