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Post by pointillinois on Aug 4, 2023 12:59:18 GMT -5
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Post by exit237a on Aug 4, 2023 13:04:42 GMT -5
Sad I've gotta miss this one! Are you gonna be able to make it, pointillinois? Hope folks can go and report back!
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Post by pointillinois on Aug 4, 2023 13:08:03 GMT -5
There is no reason a school like Illinois shouldn’t be making the tourney every year. This is my expectation as well, but I always view it through the lens of: we have some of the worst facilities in the conference. Volleyball has been one of the most successful sports, but has not gotten the facilities love. Eventually, that catches up with you. I love Huff, but I'm not blinded by how much worse it is compared to every other top team.
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Post by pointillinois on Aug 4, 2023 13:08:59 GMT -5
Sad I've gotta miss this one! Are you gonna be able to make it, pointillinois? Hope folks can go and report back! I should be able to attend unless something unexpected happens at work.
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Post by northwoods on Aug 4, 2023 14:18:39 GMT -5
If I were Illini AD I’d start making a short list of potential Tamas replacements. After 2018 I was so excited about the future of Illinois because they played multiple DS’s and put emphasis on floor defense and passing. Coming from the Nebraska coaching tree I thought it was here to stay. Much like DBK has done at Louisville. That along with the exposure of the final four and Illini legends winning gold I thought for sure the future was bright. But these last 4 years have not been pretty. So much in state talent that leaves and the passing and floor D has been awful. Yet they make no adjustments and for the last few year Illinois has chosen to have a libero and one, MAYBE two DSs on the roster. How do you even challenge yourself and get better in the practice gym with one Libero and one DS?? You can’t, and it shows in every match. Not to mention the current Libero is very sub par for the conference and I’ll bet recruited for the name. Its hard to watch. There is no reason a school like Illinois shouldn’t be making the tourney every year. Watching B10 media days Tamas doesn’t even seem to have a defined path to better a .500 season. He just alluded to injuries and past success. And to give Jen Tamas the 3rd paid assistant position is a joke. Not at all to discredit her experience and knowledge of the game at all - she herself deserves that position. But on the flip side of that she has been with the team to some extent the whole Tamas tenure in an unofficial role. And results have been getting worse over time. Why not use that opportunity to bring in a new mind? New recruiter to keep the instate talent instate? Something to try to better the team. Currently the only thing it betters is the Tamas household finances. Am I the only one feeling this way and almost hopeless about the future? Your takes are not wrong…..The Illinois seat has to be one of the warmest in the conference. There will be new facilities if for no other reason than the avalanche of $$ coming from BTN, but they won’t blow away the rest of the conference and are years away. I can’t criticize Tamas in-game or even player development skills, but his roster management & recruiting skills have just been bad.
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Post by oldmanvb on Aug 4, 2023 14:40:38 GMT -5
I like Tamas and really hope he succeeds. Actually, his record is not much different from Hambly’s last few years, but we only remember the highs, not the lows. The reasons Illinois has not been more successful the last couple of years is probably attributable to many things, some of which can be laid at the feet of the head coach; some, primarily facilities, are beyond his control; a couple of not surprising transfers; and some the result of unpredictable injuries. The only really major shortcoming that can be blamed on Tamas, in my opinion, is the lack of competent passers, something I just don’t understand. Perhaps he thought the future of women’s volleyball is 6 rotation players, he tried it, and it has not worked. This would explain his recruiting liberos this year and each of the next two years.
I don’t know why the Illini have so much trouble recruiting Chicago area clubs. There is probably some reason going back 10 to 15 years, and possibly some people on this board know the back story. It probably didn’t help when Hambly recruited freshman Jordyn Poulter over a very popular senior, Alexis Viliunas. One can hardly blame him for doing so, but I recall there was some friction that year.
After Hambly became head coach in 2009 recruits from Chicago pretty much disappeared, a mystery as Hambly was the Illini assistant coach from 2004-08, during which time he killed it in Illinois. Birks and Viliunas were Hambly’s big Illinois exceptions. Morgan O’Brien and Kaylin Korte were also from Illinois. Korte transferred to Clemson where she became all-ACC. Tamas has recruited at least as many Illinois high school players as Hambly did after 2009. Krista Hendrickson is now the primary recruiter but she does not have a history of successful recruiting in the Chicago area either. Chicago clubs are probably viewed as prime recruiting territory by most of the B1Gs best teams.
Don’t expect a lot of money from BTN or donors. Most of the money will be going to a 9 figure restoration of Memorial Stadium and paying for all the other improvements to athletic facilities from the last few years and recently announced. It is sad when Tamas has to tell recruits Jordyn Poulter is a great player even though she has to suffer through terrible locker facilities with her club in Italy.
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Post by badgerbyproxy on Aug 4, 2023 17:26:49 GMT -5
If I were Illini AD I’d start making a short list of potential Tamas replacements. After 2018 I was so excited about the future of Illinois because they played multiple DS’s and put emphasis on floor defense and passing. Coming from the Nebraska coaching tree I thought it was here to stay. Much like DBK has done at Louisville. That along with the exposure of the final four and Illini legends winning gold I thought for sure the future was bright. But these last 4 years have not been pretty. So much in state talent that leaves and the passing and floor D has been awful. Yet they make no adjustments and for the last few year Illinois has chosen to have a libero and one, MAYBE two DSs on the roster. How do you even challenge yourself and get better in the practice gym with one Libero and one DS?? You can’t, and it shows in every match. Not to mention the current Libero is very sub par for the conference and I’ll bet recruited for the name. Its hard to watch. There is no reason a school like Illinois shouldn’t be making the tourney every year. Watching B10 media days Tamas doesn’t even seem to have a defined path to better a .500 season. He just alluded to injuries and past success. And to give Jen Tamas the 3rd paid assistant position is a joke. Not at all to discredit her experience and knowledge of the game at all - she herself deserves that position. But on the flip side of that she has been with the team to some extent the whole Tamas tenure in an unofficial role. And results have been getting worse over time. Why not use that opportunity to bring in a new mind? New recruiter to keep the instate talent instate? Something to try to better the team. Currently the only thing it betters is the Tamas household finances. Am I the only one feeling this way and almost hopeless about the future? I don’t think Tamas’s seat is as warm as people think it is. Yes, Illinois missed the tournament 2 of the last 3 years, but one of those years was the COVID spring season - when countless teams struggled to the point where perennial powerhouse Stanford finished the season 2-8. Last season wasn’t the best, but 1) Illinois was plagued by injuries and 2) came up short in a lot of close matches. Regarding recruiting, Illinois hasn’t been able to keep up with other major programs, but that doesn’t seem to be as much on Tamas as it is on the athletic department not investing into the sport. His roster management could use improvement, but I don’t think that’s reason enough to turn the heat up on his seat. I’m primarily a Badger fan, but I like Illinois and am looking forward to seeing how the offense looks under Mosher. Look forward to seeing the program back in the tournament too!
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Post by ilalum92 on Aug 4, 2023 20:01:33 GMT -5
If I were Illini AD I’d start making a short list of potential Tamas replacements. After 2018 I was so excited about the future of Illinois because they played multiple DS’s and put emphasis on floor defense and passing. Coming from the Nebraska coaching tree I thought it was here to stay. Much like DBK has done at Louisville. That along with the exposure of the final four and Illini legends winning gold I thought for sure the future was bright. But these last 4 years have not been pretty. So much in state talent that leaves and the passing and floor D has been awful. Yet they make no adjustments and for the last few year Illinois has chosen to have a libero and one, MAYBE two DSs on the roster. How do you even challenge yourself and get better in the practice gym with one Libero and one DS?? You can’t, and it shows in every match. Not to mention the current Libero is very sub par for the conference and I’ll bet recruited for the name. Its hard to watch. There is no reason a school like Illinois shouldn’t be making the tourney every year. Watching B10 media days Tamas doesn’t even seem to have a defined path to better a .500 season. He just alluded to injuries and past success. And to give Jen Tamas the 3rd paid assistant position is a joke. Not at all to discredit her experience and knowledge of the game at all - she herself deserves that position. But on the flip side of that she has been with the team to some extent the whole Tamas tenure in an unofficial role. And results have been getting worse over time. Why not use that opportunity to bring in a new mind? New recruiter to keep the instate talent instate? Something to try to better the team. Currently the only thing it betters is the Tamas household finances. Am I the only one feeling this way and almost hopeless about the future? The last two years we were wracked with injuries. We had two projected star players medically retire after seeing almost no play. When Hambly left, we were in a world of hurt recruiting wise. Most of the big names for the next few classes had signed. That why our own recruiting was behind the eight ball for a few years. I too thought our final fun run would have given un us a recruiting bump. I agree our passing has broken down since 2018. Not sure if it’s who we have teaching defense. Are the teaching passing on the centerline or platform angle. Plus I don’t think have had the same level of defenders as O’Brien, Welsh, etc. as a true fan, although we can be dissatisfied we should always be optimistic. I’m looking forward to seeing this new look ILLINI
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Post by ilalum92 on Aug 4, 2023 23:09:23 GMT -5
Now we are adding Washington & Oregon to the BIG 10. The conference season in 24-25 is going to be a gauntlet!
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Post by pointillinois on Aug 5, 2023 6:02:47 GMT -5
The News-Gazette was asked about parking for Volleyball. Useful information ahead: This may be one of those “clip and save” Mailbag answers, especially if you’re used to driving to home volleyball matches. I drove by Huff a few days ago, and — at least for now — there are no parking spaces along the east side of the building. The few that remain on the south side will not be available for volleyball fans this year. Some of this year’s parking options, courtesy Division of Intercollegiate Athletics spokesperson Derrick Burson: Shuttle — Fans may park at the Bielfeldt Athletic Administration Building, 1700 S. Fourth St., where DIA will provide complimentary shuttle service to Huff Hall. The shuttle will drop off at the west entrance of Huff Hall (circle drive on Fourth Street) and run a continuous loop beginning 90 minutes prior to first serve until one hour following the completion of the match. ADA Shuttle — DIA has partnered with Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES) to provide shuttle services to Huff for fans with accessibility needs. This shuttle will originate from Bielfeldt and drop off at the Khan Annex on the north end of Huff Hall (on Gregory Drive). Metered parking — Streets surrounding Huff Hall; pay required via mobile app. New parking structure at the corner of Fourth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue — Metered parking starts at 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday; pay required via mobile app. Free parking on Sundays. It is 0.3 miles (an approximate 6-minute walk) to Huff. Art & Design Building lot (Fourth Street) — Available after 5 p.m. on weekdays and all weekend with free parking. It is 0.2 miles (an approximate 4-minute walk) to Huff. Education Building lot (Sixth Street) — Also available after 5 p.m. on weekdays and all weekend with free parking. It is 0.4 miles (an approximate 8-minute walk) to Huff. State Farm Center NE lot (Fourth Street) — Available only on non-SFC event dates, will also have free parking. It is 0.6 miles (an approximate 12-minute walk) to Huff. Source: www.news-gazette.com/toms-mailbag/kathys-mailbag-aug-4-2023/article_c3b65b40-1195-55a8-be1a-5bc23f6ab579.html
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Post by exit237a on Aug 6, 2023 19:23:50 GMT -5
Saw a great Instagram post from Raina after Big Ten media days: "I am so thankful to have been given the opportunity to represent the school I love at the second ever B1G Volleyball Media Days! 🧡🏐 It is truly amazing to see how far women’s sports have come in the past few years. I’m so blessed to be a part of this amazing and growing sport that has given me more opportunities than I could have asked for. Thank you bigten and @b1gvolleyball for an awesome day and for the continued support of your female student-athletes!"
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cvfj92LJp1z
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Post by tedheise on Aug 6, 2023 19:29:16 GMT -5
Saw a great Instagram post from Raina after Big Ten media days: "I am so thankful to have been given the opportunity to represent the school I love at the second ever B1G Volleyball Media Days! 🧡🏐 It is truly amazing to see how far women’s sports have come in the past few years. I’m so blessed to be a part of this amazing and growing sport that has given me more opportunities than I could have asked for. Thank you bigten and @b1gvolleyball for an awesome day and for the continued support of your female student-athletes!"
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cvfj92LJp1z
Oh that's just awesome--good for her!
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Post by Pasquale on Aug 7, 2023 11:27:48 GMT -5
The Illini Class of '25 is currently ranked #17 by Vball Adrenaline. If we can grab a good outside hitter, we may be ranked in the Top 10. Attachments:
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Post by ilalum92 on Aug 7, 2023 22:14:24 GMT -5
The Illini Class of '25 is currently ranked #17 by Vball Adrenaline. If we can grab a good outside hitter, we may be ranked in the Top 10. Do you have access to the Top 10 too? Also, we should NEVER lose a recruiting battle to UNLV! LOL
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Post by notpriddy (COIF) on Aug 8, 2023 15:15:44 GMT -5
I have very positive feelings about this team. I have always had positive feelings about our coach, Tamas. He is a master trainer and strategist. I applaud our Athletic Director, Josh Whitman, for believing in Tamas. I am so glad Coach Tamas is at Illinois and not coaching Penn State or some other team. I have my own feelings about the problems last season, but that was last season. I look forward not backward. Go Illini!
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