ILLINOIS VS. THE FIELD
The Illinois volleyball team are a combined 1-1 against the Montana State Bobcat Classic field, with only a match each in the history of the program against Gonzaga and MSU. The Illini and Air Force will meet for the first time on Saturday morning.
It has been 33 years since the Illini and Gonzaga have met on the volleyball court. UI won the lone meeting between the two teams with a 3-0 victory on September 21, 1984.
The host Bobcats and the Illini last met 26 years ago when MSU took the only meeting between the two with a five-set win over the Illini on September 6, 1991.
TAMAS NAMED EIGHTH VOLLEYBALL HEAD COACH
Following the departure of former head coach Kevin Hambly to Stanford in January, Director of Athletes Josh Whitman selected Chris Tamas as the new head coach of the Fighting Illini volleyball program on February 10, 2017. He is the eighth head coach in the history of the program.
Tamas came to Illinois following many years learning from some of the game’s great coaches, including John Cook at Nebraska and former U.S. National Team coaches Hugh McCutcheon and Ron Larsen. In all, Tamas is in his ninth year of collegiate coaching including two years at Nebraska, two years at Cal Poly, two years at Minnesota and two years at UC-Riverside.
Tamas is a 2003 graduate of the University of the Pacific with a degree in sports sciences. He was a four-year starter for the Tigers and a unanimous AVCA All-American first team selection and team MVP during his 2003 senior season. In four years with the U.S. Men’s National Team (1999, 2003, 2005-06), Tamas made 34 appearances, and, in 1999, helped the squad to a silver medal at the World Junior Championships in Havana. As national team captain in 2003, Tamas helped lead the United State to a bronze medal at the World University Games in Daegu, South Korea.
A training camp invitee for the U.S. squad that eventually captured the 2008 Olympic gold medal, Tamas also helped U.S. teams to silver at the 2005 World Grand Champions Cup in Japan and, as a setter, to a gold at the 2006 NORCECA Championships in Mexicali, Mexico.
As a professional, Tamas competed for six years overseas with clubs Protect Eye Orion (Netherlands), Antigos Alunos (Portugal), Real Grupo (Spain), Erdemir (Turkey), Dionysos (Cyprus) and Isku (Finland). In Finland and Cyprus, Tamas helped his clubs to national cup championships.
TAMAS COMPLETES COACHING STAFF
With first-year head coach Chris Tamas at the helm of the Illini volleyball program, there is a number of new faces on the sidelines for the Illini. Second-year assistant coach Jason Mansfield joins assistant coach Rashinda Reed, volunteer assistant Jen Tamas and director of operations Andy Wenstrand in 2017. Along with the new coaching staff, Maggie Marionjoins the team as the Illini’s athletic trainer.
Reed was most recently named the head volleyball coach at Northern Michigan University in December following seven seasons as an assistant coach at a number of highly successful NCAA Division I and Division II programs, while also enjoying a strong collegiate and professional career as a middle blocker.
Tamas joins her husband following volunteer assistant stints with him at Nebraska from 2015-2017 and at Cal Poly from 2013-14. The former Jen Joines was a four-time All-American middle blocker at Pacific (2000-03) and silver medalist with the United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics. She played professionally for eight years in Japan, Italy, Russia, Azerbaijan and Puerto Rico and was the U.S. Women’s National Team captain for four years.
BASTIANELLI, POULTER TABBED PRESEASON ALL-B1G
Illinois volleyball juniors Ali Bastianelli and Jordyn Poulter earned Preseason All-Big Ten honors as voted on by the Big Ten coaches, the conference announced on Tuesday (August 15). It was the second-straight season Poulter earned preseason all-conference accolades and the first such award for Bastianelli.
The duo had breakout seasons as sophomores, earning American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Honorable Mention All-America honors, as well as AVCA All-Northeast Region Team and All-Big Ten accolades.
One of the premier blockers in the nation in 2016, Bastianelli finished the regular season as the NCAA and Big Ten Conference leader with 1.79 blocks per set and 201 total blocks on the year, while also pacing the league in conference matches with 1.79 stuffs per set and 129 total blocks. She also ranked 12th in the Big Ten and was second on the Illini with a .326 hitting percentage in overall action and was tied for 15th with 17 service aces in conference play. The Marysville, Mich., native started in all 31 matches for the Illini, totaling 197 kills and 30 digs and earned Billiken Invitational All-Tournament Team honors as well as FloVolleyball Player of the Week and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week accolades a season ago.
The leader of the Illini offense, Poulter averaged 10.63 assists per set to rank sixth in the Big Ten and 51st in the NCAA after totaling 1,190 assists on the season and leading the Illini to a .251 hitting percentage, which ranked 47th in the nation following the conclusion of regular season. She upped her game in league play and finished fifth with 10.89 assists per set in Big Ten matches. One of the most consistent players for the Illini, Poulter ranked second on the team with 112 blocks, was fifth with 166 digs and was efficient in the attack with 79 kills in 164 swings and only 22 errors for a .348 hitting percentage. She also garnered all-tournament accolades at the Illini Classic and the Nike Invitational and earned Big Ten Setter of the Week honors on Oct. 17.
ILLINI PICKED NINTH IN B1G COACHES POLL
The Fighting Illini were picked to finish ninth in the league standings in 2017. Penn State was chosen as the conference favorite for the 2017 volleyball season as voted on by the Big Ten coaches, while NCAA semifinalist and defending Big Ten Champion Nebraska was picked to finish second. Minnesota was tabbed third, Michigan State was voted to finish fourth and Wisconsin rounded out the top five of the preseason poll in fifth place.
2017 RECRUITING CLASS RANKED NO. 7
The 2017 Illinois volleyball recruiting class has been ranked as the seventh-best class in the country as rated by PrepVolleyball.com’s John Tawa.
The nine-member class includes setter Kylie Bruder (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), outside hitters Megan Cooney (Topeka, Kan.), Emily Hollowell (Little Elm, Texas), Kylie Kuyava-Deberg(Hudson, Iowa) and Marijke Van Dyke (Munster, Ind.), middle blocker Tyanna Omazic(Lenexa, Kan.) and defensive specialists Morgan O’Brien (Libertyville, Ill.), Lexie Smith(Lucas, Texas) and Emmaline Walters (Huntington Beach, Calif.).
PrepVolleyball.com’s comments on the Fighting Illini’s 2017 recruiting class:
“We have a large and talented group in 2017,” said new Illinois head coach Chris Tamas. “They bring in a mix of skill sets that are exciting for any coach to work with.”
Omazic, one of four recruits among PrepVolleyball.com’s Top 100 Senior Aces, led her high school team to a state title last fall and helped PVA earn an 18 Open bid this spring. No. 51 in the Senior Aces, Tamas says Omazic is “as good off of one foot as anyone I’ve seen for her age.” She should start immediately opposite junior Ali Bastianelli.
Tamas says that the Fighting Illini’s four pin hitters, three of whom were Top 100 Senior Aces, have a wealth of all-around and specialized skills. Kuyava-Deberg, Cooney and Hollowell have carried big loads for their high school and club teams, playing all six rotations and being focal points of their teams’ offense. Kuyava-Deberg, Senior Ace No. 15, is very long, has a scorer’s mentality and the tools to terminate at will. Cooney, Senior Ace No. 35, is very physical and her blocking prowess makes her a natural on the right side. Van Dyke, No. 66 in the Senior Aces, has been hampered by injuries over her prep career but when healthy is an elite athlete with the ability to score and strong blocking skills. Hollowell, a Top 250 Senior Ace, is long and can contribute on either pin as well as in the middle.
Bruder, a Top 250 Senior Ace, has spent a season playing for former Olympian Heather Bown, and has the one skill that is difficult to teach setters: great hands. She has a good feel for the game and consistently puts up hittable sets. Three great back row specialists complete the class.
O’Brien, Smith and Walters bring speed, the ability to keep the ball off the floor and terrific passing prowess. “Overall, I am very excited about the skill and the depth of this class,” said Tamas. “They will have an immediate impact on the team.”
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 last season.
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 20 straight home openers. Since making the move to Huff Hall in 1990, Illinois is 25-1 in the first home match of the season. The Illini’s 2017 home opener is set for September 8 when defending NCAA champion Stanford comes to town.
QUADE NAMED 2016-17 ILLINOIS NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Following a strong rookie campaign, outside hitter Jacqueline Quade was named 2016-17 Female Newcomer of the Year, presented to the top female newcomer competing in their first season with the Fighting Illini. The recipients were selected by vote of Illinois head coaches, DIA executive staff and the DIA athletics awards committee.
Quade was a Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection that played in all 31 matches at outside hitter. She was second on the Illini with 304 kills, recording double-digit kills in 16 matches. She set a career-high with 18 kills in victory at Maryland (Oct. 2) and collected Big Ten Freshman of the Week (Sept. 26) and Nike Invitational All-Tournament Team honors.
Quade becomes the sixth volleyball player overall and third straight to win Illinois Female Newcomer of the Year, following Kirsten Gleis (1993), Erin Borske (1995), Michelle Bartsch (2009), Brandi Donnelly (2015) and Jordyn Poulter (2016).
Press Release courtesy of Illinois Athletics.
Leave a Reply