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Post by vballmaniac40 on Sept 18, 2005 0:30:54 GMT -5
Illinois is not looking so good right now as they barely snuck by Eastern Illinois and got spanked by Rice in Champaign. From the boxscores it looks like VanMeter had a tough weekend and when she isn't on, they don't stand much of a chance.
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Post by simplycurious on Sept 18, 2005 1:36:06 GMT -5
I'm disappointed that they're struggling, but not overly surprised. I saw them this summer during camp and they looked a little rough around the edges. Granted not everyone was there, but their passing was suspect at that time. In fact, during the staff match, which included some recent Illini graduates (like Lisa, Erin and Lauren) they got hammered pretty good. They didn't have any passing at that time and I imagine this is something they could potentially struggle with in the early part of the season. As far as the previous poster's comments on Rachel, she's definitely their "big gun", however she's still an emotional player. This sometimes makes things more difficult for her team. I know Don has been working with her on this and she's made a lot of progress, but she'll need to make more if she's to help the Illini stop the present skid that they're on. I hope so. I really like the staff there and believe they'll make the necessary adjustments and improvements to pull things together in time for the start of conference play.  |
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Post by bucky415 on Sept 18, 2005 12:14:22 GMT -5
VanMeter has gotten a lot better at mixing her shots, though, which makes her a lot harder to stop.
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Post by Pasquale on Sept 18, 2005 13:09:30 GMT -5
Things have gone from bad to worse in Champaign-Urbana. Virsilaite, who only recently recovered from a heart murmer over the summer, broke a finger during the match against Eastern Illinois on Friday night. She did not play against Rice. She will be out 2-3 weeks. Bazzetta, a 5'10" setter, filled in on the right side. She played admirably, hitting .429 for the night.
The injuries and illnesses are taking their toll. Hynds may or may not return this season with a lingering ankle injury. Griffin is out for the season with a knee injury. Henderson is out another 1-2 weeks with mono.
On a positive note, Brown and MacDonald played well over the weekend. They'll need to step up if Illinois is to make the tournament. Once Virsilaite and Henderson return, they'll still have enough talent to pull an occasional upset. It could be a long season, but Hardin has some good, young athletes and this experience should pay off.
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Post by bucky415 on Sept 18, 2005 13:23:53 GMT -5
Bazzetta has a nasty jump serve, so that might be a weapon that can help the Illini run some points, but you hate to see people get hurt, especially seniors.
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