Friday, Sep. 1 (5:00 p.m. CT) at Illinois (2-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
Champaign, Illinois (Huff Hall)
Live Stats // Watch
Saturday, Sep. 2 (1:00 p.m. CT) vs. Illinois State (0-3, 0-0 Missouri Valley)
Champaign, Illinois (Huff Hall)
Live Stats // Watch
.
SCOUTING THE FIGHTING ILLINI:
SCOUTING THE REDBIRDS:
Hard to evaluate how the Shockers might do with the health of key players uncertain at this point. I'm hoping they can manage a win over illinois State.
Champaign, Illinois (Huff Hall)
Live Stats // Watch
Saturday, Sep. 2 (1:00 p.m. CT) vs. Illinois State (0-3, 0-0 Missouri Valley)
Champaign, Illinois (Huff Hall)
Live Stats // Watch
.
SCOUTING THE FIGHTING ILLINI:
- Illinois enters Friday at 2-0, having bested Northern Illinois 3-1 in a season-opening road contest before sweeping Valparaiso on Tuesday in the home opener.
- The Fighting Illini are picked seventh in the 14-team preseason Big Ten poll. Illinois is coming off a 15-15 season a year ago that included a 10-10 mark in conference play. 11 of the Fighting Illini's 15 losses came against ranked opponents.
- Illinois is tasked with replacing decorated setter Diana Brown, who graduated fifth in assists (4,247) and fourth in double-doubles (54) in program history.
- Senior outside hitter Raina Terry was a preseason All-Big Ten selection after leading Illinois with 444 kills and 4.07 kills per set in her junior season.
- Chris Tamas (pronounced Thomas) enters his seventh season as head coach of the Fighting Illini volleyball program in 2023. Tamas owns an overall record of 117-67 (.636), including a 69-49 (.585) mark in Big Ten play, highlighted by a trip to the Final Four in 2018.
SCOUTING THE REDBIRDS:
- Illinois State opened the season with a trio of defeats in Columbia, Missouri against Missouri, Central Arkansas and Colgate. The Redbirds play Northwestern on Friday before battling the Shockers on Saturday.
- The Redbirds were picked seventh in the 12-team Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll after a 12-17 (5-13) mark a season ago.
- Head coach Allie Matters is in her second season leading the Redbirds. Matters is 91-50 through five seasons as a head coach after four seasons at Wright State.
Hard to evaluate how the Shockers might do with the health of key players uncertain at this point. I'm hoping they can manage a win over illinois State.
Comment