Illini Opens Home Stand With No. 15 Spartans, Wildcats

ILLINI VS. THE FIELD

After three-straight road matches, the Fighting Illini volleyball team returns to Huff Hall to open a four-match home stand, starting with No. 14 Michigan State on Wednesday night. The Illini will then take on Northwestern for the second time this season on Saturday night.

The Illini hold an advantage in all-time series with both the Spartans and the Wildcats, leading 48-25 against MSU and 55-29 against NU.

Illinois earned a 3-1 win over the Spartans in the two teams’ only meeting a season ago on Oct. 30, 2015.

Northwestern and Illinois most recently played last week with the Illini sweeping the Wildcats, 3-0, on Oct. 5. Senior Katie Stadick led a balanced Illini attack with 10 kills on 15 swings and only one error for a .600 hitting percentage, while sophomore setter Jordyn Poulter registered her first double-double of the season and the ninth of her career with 33 assists and 10 digs.

LAST TIME OUT

The No. 24 Fighting Illini had three players reach double figures in kills, but it was not enough as Illinois dropped its first Big Ten road match of the season in a 3-1 setback to No. 2 Wisconsin on Saturday night at the UW Field House.

Senior Naya Crittenden led the way with a team-high 13 kills on 29 attacks and four errors for a .310 hitting percentage, while classmate Michelle Strizak turned in 12 kills on 30 swings and no errors for a .400 clip. Sophomore Ali Bastianelli also reach double digits and equaled a career-high with 11 kills on 24 attacks and only three errors for a .333 hitting percentage, while adding five blocks and a service ace.

Junior libero Brandi Donnelly came one dig of her career-high with 25 against UW, marking the 23rd time in her career that she has registered 20 digs or more in a match.

ILLINI STREAKING

After opening the season with four losses in the first six matches, the Illini responded to win the last nine of 11 matches, with every win but two coming as straight-set victories. Since September 10, the Illini have posted wins in 28 of 38 sets.

The Illini’s only losses have come at the hands of defending NCAA Champion and the- No. 1 ranked Nebraska, who led the nation with a 28-match win streak at the time of the match, as well as No. 2 Wisconsin, who earned the No. 1 ranking for the first time in school history this week.

QUADE, STRIZAK LEAD ILLINI OVER TERPS

Senior Michelle Strizak registered just her second career 20-kill match and freshmanJacqueline Quade turned in a career-high 18 kills on Sunday to lead the Illini to a 3-2 win over Maryland in College Park, Md.

Strizak came with just two kills of her career-high, which she set with 22 kills against Penn State on Oct. 9, 2015.

Quade has totaled double figure kills in 12 of the Illini’s 15 matches and leads Illinois with 181 total kills for a 3.23 kills per set average.

FIVE-SETTERS

The Illini have played five five-set matches this season and after dropping their first three five-setters, they have earned victories in their last two matches that have gone the distance. Most recently, the Illini defeated Maryland for their second road win of the conference slate in five-set fashion, taking all three odd sets in the contest.

TOP 10 WIN

The Fighting Illini started off the Big Ten Conference  season with a bang with a five-set victory over No. 10 Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind. on Sept. 21, marking the first time since 2009 that Illinois  has defeated Purdue in West Lafayette.

It was also the first top-10 victory for the Illini since the 2014 season, when UI defeated then- No. 10 Nebraska in five sets on Nov. 26.

ILLINOIS IN THE NCAA RANKINGS

As a team, the Illini rank in the top 21 in the NCAA in total blocks and blocks per set, with UI coming in at 11th in blocks per set with a 2.89 average. The Illini sit 21st in the nation with 182 total blocks. The Illini also rank 35th in the NCAA with a .262 hitting percentage.

BLOCKIN’ BASTIANELLI

Sophomore Ali Bastianelli has quickly become one of the premier blockers in the NCAA and leads the nation with 1.81 blocks per set and is second in the country with 114 total blocks on the season, just six blocks off of national leader Mackenzie Rombach of Jacksonville State.

Bastianelli is the leader in the Big Ten Conference in both blocks per set and total blocks in overall play, while also pacing the league in conference matches as well with 42 total blocks and a 1.83 blocks per set average.

SERVING SPECIALISTS

Along with her blocking prowess, Bastianelli ranks in a tie for fourth with eight service aces and is eighth  with 0.35 aces per set.  Joining her in the rankings is senior Danielle Davis, who ranks in a tie for eighth with seven aces in league plays and is 12th with a .30 aces per set average.

QUADE NAMED B1G FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK

Freshman outside hitter Jacqueline earned her first Big Ten Conference Freshman of the Week honor as well as the Illini’s first of the 2016 season when the league announced it on Sept. 26.

Quade totaled the second-most kills on the week for the Illini with 25 between the two matches, averaging 3.12 kills per set and posting a .246 hitting percentage, as well as four digs, three blocks and one assist.

Against the Boilermakers, Quade notched 13 kills on 33 swings and six errors for a .212 hitting percentage to go along with two blocks, two digs and an assist. She then added 12 kills on 24 attacks and five errors for a .292 hitting percentage, two blocks and a dig in the win over the Scarlet Knights.

HOME SWEET HUFF HALL

The Illini are 98-26 in front of a home crowd since the start of 2008. All-but-three of those losses came to teams in the top 25, including four to the No. 1 team in the country.

Illinois ranks ninth in the nation in average crowd size with an average of 2,632 and is 23rd in total attendance (13,161) in 2016. Seven of the top 10 teams in average attendance are members of the Big Ten, with Nebraska leading the nation at 8,167.

2016 SCHEDULE CONTINUES TO CHALLENGE

The Fighting Illini volleyball consistently plays a demanding schedule year in and year out, with UI playing the most challenging schedule of any team in the NCAA in 2013, followed by the 12th-most difficult slate in 2014, including playing eight matches against teams that finished the season ranked in the top eight.

Last season was no different as the Illini played the 21st-most difficult schedule in the nation, with 10 of the final top 25 teams on its schedule, including six NCAA Regional teams, two Final Four squads and twice against 2015 National Champion, Nebraska.

The Illini continues that streak in 2016, with the Orange & Blue taking on 10 teams that appear in this week’s AVCA Top 25 poll – including six in the top 15 – in No. 1 Wisconsin, No. 2 Nebraska, No. 3 Minnesota, No. 10 Penn State, No. 12 Stanford, No. 14 Michigan State, No. 16 Oregon, No. 18 Michigan, No. 19 Ohio State and No. 22 Purdue. Additionally, Illinois has faced one team that is receiving votes in Colorado.

Between past and future oppostition, Illinois holds the 37th-toughest schedule in the NCAA and owns the ninth-toughest schedule moving forward with future foes.

ILLINOIS NIGHT 2016

On Wednesday, the Illini held their third-straight IlliNOISE Night, where the UI Marketing and Promotions staff took a decibel meter reading during the match to try and top the previous marks set in 2014 (105 dB) and 2015 (107 dB). With the help of the over 2,900 fans including the Marching Illini, Illinois was able to set a new record with a meter reading of 112 dB in between the first and second sets.

BILLIKEN INVITATIONAL RECAP

The Fighting Illini volleyball team earned its first tournament title of the season after sweeping its way to the 2016 Billiken Invitational championship over the weekend. The Illini made quick work of all three wins, defeating both Omaha (25-16, 25-9, 25-17) and Murray State (25-20, 25-13, 25-11) in less than 70 minutes each and the host Saint Louis (25-22, 25-14, 25-21) in just over an hour and a half.

Junior Brandi Donnelly was named the tournament MVP after totaling a team-high 37 digs and provided a strong passing game to propel the Illini offense throughout the weekend, with sophomore Ali Bastianelli (18 blocks, 17 kills, .484 hitting percentage) and freshmanCaroline Welsh (12 digs) also earning all-tournament honors, with the Illini honorees chosen by their teammates.

Freshman Jacqueline Quade led the Illini with 33 kills and owned a .400 hitting percentage through three matches, while senior Naya Crittenden added 25 kills and a .500 hitting percentage as well as eight blocks.

Sophomore Jordyn Poulter totaled 102 assists in the three matches, while quarterbacking the Illini offense to a .407 hitting percentage on the weekend – with the Illini twice registering hitting percentages over .450 – the two highest hitting percentages of the season, a .483 mark against Murray State and a.458 clip against Omaha. Individually, she also posted eight kills and a .462 hitting percentage as well as ranking second on the team with 15 digs, nine blocks and four service aces.

NIKE INVITATIONAL RECAP

After a slow start to the Nike Invitational that saw the Illini fall in three set to host Oregon, Illinois responded with back-to-back straight-set victories over Belmont and Saint Mary’s on Sept. 9-10. The Illini defeated Belmont, 25-9, 25-16, 25-23, with freshman Jacqueline Quade leading with nine kills and sophomore Ali Bastianelli registering nine blocks.

In the tournament finale, senior Katie Stadick led the Illini to a 25-11, 25-18, 25-18 win over Saint Mary’s with 11 kills on 15 swings and only one error for a team-high .667 hitting percentage and six blocks. Bastianelli added seven blocks in the win.

For their efforts, Quade and sophomore Jordyn Poulter were named to the Nike Invitational All-Tournament Team. Quade totaled a team-high 26 kills and 31 points in the three matches, to go along with 11 digs, eight blocks and a .298 hitting percentage.  For her part, Poulter masterminded an Illini offense that hit at a .216 clip – including two matches over .300 – as well as turning in 13 digs, 12 blocks and 10 kills on a .643 hitting percentage.

KID BLOCK PARTY

Sophomore middle blocker Ali Bastianelli set a program record with 14 block assists against No. 9 Stanford onSept. 3. The previous mark of 13 block assists was achieved on four occasions, twice by Johannah Bangert and once each by Anna Dorn and Kellie Hebeisen.

EVEN SET MAGIC

The Fighting Illini have lost just five even-numbered set this season, holding a 17-5 mark in the second and fourth sets. The Illini dropped their first second set of the season against Oregon back on Sept. 9 and hold a 11-3 record in the second, while they dropped their first fourth set against Purdue on Sept. 21 and are 4-2 in the fourth.

The Illini own a 22-15 mark in odd-numbered sets, including a 9-7 record in the opener, a 11-5 mark in the third and a 2-3  record in the fifth after taking their first fifth set of the season against the Boilermakers and their second on Sunday at Maryland.

ILLINI CLASSIC RECAP

For the third-straight season, the Fighting Illini earned the Illini Classic title after finishing the opening weekend with a 2-1 record. Illinois posted wins over Arkansas (25-19, 25-13, 25-22) and Xavier (21-25, 25-23, 25-23, 25-21), before falling to Missouri State in five sets (22-25, 25-14, 22-25, 25-15, 10-15). With three teams tied with a 2-1 record, the Illini earned the title on a set-win percentage tiebreaker.

Senior middle blocker Katie Stadick was named Most Valuable Player after registering 33 kills on 60 swings for a .433 hitting percentage and 14 blocks in the three matches. Sophomore setter Jordyn Poulter and senior opposite hitter Naya Crittenden joined her on the all-tournament team. Poulter averaged 11.17 assists per set after totaling 134 on the weekend, while also turning in nine kills and a .350 hitting percentage, 17 digs and nine blocks. Crittenden posted 25 kills and a .267 hitting percentage, including a career-high 15 kills against MSU, as well as nine blocks and three digs.

ILLINI RANKED PRESEASON NO.14

When the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) released its preseason poll on August 10, the Fighting Illini volleyball team once again made an appearance, coming in at No. 14 in the season’s opening top-25 poll.

Illinois returned 10 letterwinners, including a majority of its starters from its 2015 NCAA Sweet 16 team, including Big Ten All-Freshman Team honorees Jordyn Poulter and Ali Bastianelli, as well as junior libero Brandi Donnelly and hard-hitting seniors Katie Stadick,Michelle Strizak and Naya Crittenden. The Illini will also welcome in the No. 22-ranked recruiting class, including a pair of Top 100 PrepVolleyball.com Senior Aces in Kaylin Korte and Jacqueline Quade, as well as NC State transfer Blayke Hranicka.

Illinois’ highest opening rank came on Sept. 6, 1988, when the AVCA placed the Illini at No. 2 on the first week of the season following their first-ever trip to the NCAA Semifinals.

Illinois appeared in the top 25 of the AVCA’s first poll every season from 1986 to 1994, resurfaced at No. 14 in 1999 then at No. 19 in 2002 and 2004. The Illini have been ranked in the preseason top 25 in all-but-one season under Hambly, while receiving votes in 2013, with five top-10 projections in his eight seasons. The 2016 preseason ranking marks the Illini’s 19th year beginning the schedule in the top 25.

2016 RECRUITING CLASS RANKED NO. 22

The 2016 Illinois volleyball recruiting class garnered a top-25 ranking, coming in as the No. 22 recruiting class in the nation as rated byPrepVolleyball.com.

The ranking continues the Illini recruiting success, with the 2016 class including a pair of Top 100 PrepVolleyball.com Senior Aces in outside hitters Kaylin Korte (No. 35) andJacqueline Quade (No. 86), as well as defensive specialists Annika Gereau and Caroline Welsh and defensive specialist/setter Kendal Kavanaugh. Korte and Quade were both also named to Volleyball Magazine’s Fab 50 list, featuring the top seniors in the class of 2016.

Quade made a splash in her Illini debut on Aug. 26-27, registering double figure kills in all three matches at the Illini Classic, as well as securing her first career double-double with 13 kills and 11 digs against Missouri Stateon Saturday night. Gereau also made appearances in all three matches, recording three digs, while Welsh delivered a service ace in her first attempt to go along with four digs.

Korte came off the bench at Oregon last Friday night to make her first appearance in an Illini jersey, recording two kills in the outing.

While not apart of the 2016 signing class, redshirt-freshman Beth Prince also made her Illini debut during the Illini Classic after being sidelined with an injury in 2015.

ILLINI DEBUT NEW STAFF IN 2016

It is an entirely new staff that joins head coach Kevin Hambly on the sidelines this season as assistant coaches Jason Mansfield and Erin Lindsey, director of volleyball operationsJenni Bolduc and volunteer assistant coach Austin D’Amore were hired on during the offseason. Along with the new coaching staff, Misao Tanioka joins the team as the Illini’s athletic trainer.

OPENING NIGHT SUCCESS

The Illini have had tremendous success on opening night, going 33-10 all time in the first match of the season. Illinois has lost just one season opener since 1999, starting the new millennium with a 12-match winning streak from 2000-2011, before dropping the 2012 lid-lifter at Dayton. Illinois swept Arkansas at the Illini Classic to open the 2016 campaign.

Illinois is even more successful in home openers, going 37-6 all time in the first home match of the year. The Illini have not lost a home opener in over two decades; after falling to No. 18 New Mexico on Sept. 9, 1994, the Orange and Blue have won their last 21 straight home openers. Since making the move to Huff Hall in 1990, Illinois is 26-1 in the first home match of the season.

POULTER TABBED PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN

Illinois sophomore setter Jordyn Poulter was named Preseason All-Big Ten, as voted on by the Big Ten coaches. It was the first preseason honor of her career. Poulter made an immediate impact for the Illini in her freshman season, starting 29 of 32 matches at the setter position and earned Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors. She directed the Illini offense with 1,088 assists and recorded eight double-doubles on the season, highlighted by career highs of 59 assists and 21 digs vs. No. 4 Minnesota and a 34-assist, 10-dig performance in an NCAA Tournament first-round victory over Southern Illinois.

Poulter was also named to the B1G/Pac-12 All-Tournament Team and was a two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week and Big Ten Setter of the Week selection. Following her breakout rookie campaign, she was selected as the Fighting Illini Newcomer of the Year.

HAMBLY’S REGIONAL RUN

Under the leadership of head coach Kevin Hambly, the Illinois volleyball program has seen a run of success in postseason play as the Illini have advanced to an NCAA Regional every season with the exception of one in his previous seven seasons at the helm. The Illini have advanced to the NCAA Regionals in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014 and 2015, and also made  run to the National Championship match in 2011.

HAMBLY PRODUCES ALL-AMERICANS

Illinois has 28 All-America honors among 17 players in school history. Nine of those players earned 16 honors with Kevin Hambly on staff. Three of the five First-Team All-Americans have come under Hambly (Laura DeBruler, Colleen Ward, Michelle Bartsch), while recent graduate Jocelynn Birks was a three-time All-American, finishing her 2015 senior campaign as an Honorable Mention selection, to go along with a 2013 Third Team honor with a Second Team award in 2014.

Courtesy of Illinois Volleyball