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02/23/2010
Posted by:
Doug Burchett |
HOOSIER-ILLINI CLASSIC
The ILLINOIS BLUE
and ILLINOIS ORANGE will travel
to Indiana University this weekend to co-host the Ninth Annual
Hoosier Illini Classic, which takes place on both Feb 27 and Feb
28th. The tournament consists of 32 teams, 8 of which are in the top
25 in the country.
Tournament structure consists of Pool Play &
Challenge Round Saturday, and then Single elimination playoffs on
Sunday (based on Saturday's pool play results).
The Blue have won the tournament twice, winning in
2003 and 2008. |
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02/22/2010
Posted by:
Steve Hanowsky |
ORANGE DOMINATES MIVA PLAYDATE
ILLINOIS ORANGE
went undefeated this past weekend in their second MIVA D2 Playdate
at Michigan State. Led by Josh Scaletta's great setting, the Illini
offense was connecting on all cylinders. They hope to build upon
their success at Indiana this upcoming weekend where they get to see
how they stack up against some of the best teams in the country. |
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02/15/2010
Posted by:
Doug Burchett |
BLUE COMPETES IN BIG TEN ROUND ROBIN
Purdue University - The #4
ILLINOIS BLUE team competed in the annual Big Ten Round
Robin tournament this past weekend, which consisted of playing
against 9 Big Ten teams in the two-day span. On Saturday, the Illini
competed against Wisconsin, Purdue, Indiana, Northwestern, and
Michigan. The team used a variety of lineups and finished the day
5-0, and only dropped one set to a tough Indiana squad.
On Sunday, the Illini faced Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan
State, and Ohio State. They won the first 3 matches, including
dominating performances against Michigan State and Minnesota. The
Illini fell to Ohio State in 3 sets in the final match of the
tournament, with a final record of 8-1.
Junior MB Mike Walsh had an impressive all around
weekend, and definitely provided a major spark at key moments both
offensively and defensively. Both senior Libero Craig Podalak and
freshman Pat Soukup also had a great weekend as they switched off
back and forth at Libero, which provided the Illini some great depth
at the position, as senior Libero Joe Toth was injured.
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11/22/2009
Posted by:
Steve Hanowsky |
ILLINOIS ORANGE WINS NOTRE DAME TOURNAMENT!
ILLINOIS ORANGE
began by defeating both Grand Valley State and Ball State.
After a re-shuffle of the pools, Orange defeated Grand Valley State
again! Still on a winning streak, the team continued to
overpower Michigan State. The final match was against Notre
Dame Gold with home court advantage. The Orange team played with enduring intensity to win the
championship! Eric Sipos had a very good tournament.
Great play by the entire team.
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11/22/2009
Posted by:
Craig Podalak |
ILLINOIS BLUE WINS ILLINI 16!
ALL
ILLINOIS SQUADS PLACE HIGH!
ILLINOIS BLUE
began the tournament ranked as the #2 overall seed. The Blue squad
had an easy time handling Indiana B (even though it was early) and
then beat the Alumni B in 3 games after letting the second game slip
away from them. Lastly in pool play the Blue took on Wisconsin and
put them away to advance to the Gold Bracket. After a long break,
the Blue squad was revived and put away Iowa State A and Ohio State
to advance to the Championship Match. The Illinois Blue Squad was
matched up once again against the Alumni B team - but for the title
this time. The Blue squad came out fired up and won the first game,
however faltered in the second game. The third game was close and
brought a lot of intensity with some great plays from both teams.
In the end, the Illinois Blue Squad won the match and the title of
2009 Champions of the Illini 16 Invite. The Blue squad was led by
outsides senior Emmett Culligan and junior Karl Miller. Junior
middle Mike Walsh really stepped up during the playoffs, playing
"out of his mind" by getting some huge blocks and putting just about
every ball he touched to the ground. Junior setter Mike Ashida also
played great all day. With the absence of setter Doug Burchett,
Ashida had to play the whole day without rest, and he really
connected well with the hitters. The Blue will be going to
Wisconsin the weekend of November 21st during Thanksgiving Break.
ILLINOIS ORANGE began the day in
Pool 1. The Orange team had a great start to the tournament by
beating the #1 overall seed in Indiana. Led by Keith Podalak’s
stellar defense and a well-balanced offense, the Orange came out of
their pool in first place. However after a long break, the Orange
stumbled against Ohio State in their opening round playoff match in
the Gold Bracket.
ILLINOIS WHITE started out the day by playing COD, where they
had a rough time; however, they came back the next match to beat the
high seeded Illinois State A squad. After losing a long, tough
match to Purdue in 3, the White entered the Silver Bracket as the
top seed. Defeating UIC and Indiana B, the White tied with Indiana
A for the Silver Championship because all the gym time was run out
and they could not play the match. Oscar Grajeda led the team in
digs and was a dominant force in serve receive. Dan Fey led the
team in kills while Karl Nerger displayed an immense amount of
intensity that sparked the White squad.
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10/18/2009
Posted by:
Doug Burchett |
ILLINOIS BLUE WINS HAWKEYE- ILLINI
 For the third consecutive year, the
ILLINOIS BLUE
squad won the annual Hawkeye Illini Tournament held at the
University of Iowa. In pool play, the Illini beat Northern Illinois
and Iowa B, and then lost a close 3 game match to St. Ambrose. The
Illini bounced back quickly in playoffs and defeated Iowa A in the
quarterfinals.
In the semifinals against Clarke College,
the Illini used a balanced attack from junior outside hitter's Karl
Miller and Henry Gottlieb and defeated Clarke in 2 sets. In the
Championship match, the Blue faced Mizzou. After losing game
one, the Illini gained control with strong serving from Right Side
Kevin Deeke. Junior Middle Blocker Mike Walsh also provided a
spark in the second set with strong blocking and a few slide kills.
In the third set, the Illini had control from the beginning. An ace
from Senior DS Craig Podalak at 14-11 gave the Blue the victory.
The Illinois Blue will travel to Loyola in
two weeks.
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10/10/2009
Posted by:
Craig Podalak |
DISAPPOINTING WEEKEND IN INDIANA
 The Hoosier Fall Classic was held this
past weekend. All three teams went into the weekend going for
gold, but all fell just short. After stellar pool play, all
three teams made it into the gold bracket. The
ILLINOIS BLUE and ILLINOIS WHITE
teams were matched up against each other in the first round.
The White team gave the Blue squad a run for its money, but the Blue
came out on top. The Blue and
ILLINOIS ORANGE teams were then in the
semis, but both lost to Indiana and Illinois State respectively.
It was the first tournament of the year and a good learning
experience for all three teams. |
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09/15/2009
Posted by:
Craig Podalak |
2009-2010 TRYOUTS HELD
Tryouts for the Club have finished.
After Quad Day, many students came
to tryouts. There were three grueling days of tryouts
while the teams were being decided. The talent of all three
teams this year is looking stronger than ever before and all will be
able to compete with the nation's best once again. |
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04/13/2009
Posted by:
Doug Burchett |
ILLINOIS ORANGE CLAIM
TITLE - D3 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
For the first time in the program's history, the Illini came home as
National Champions. The Orange team won the Division 3 Championship
Match, as they rolled Cal Berkeley in two games. The Illini did not drop
a single game through the entire tournament.
For the Blue team, the Illini did not walk away as National Champions,
as they lost in a close match against Wisconsin Oshkosh. The Blue had a
slow start in Game 1 and lost 23-25. In Game 2, they came back from
a six-point deficit and won 25-23. Game 3 saw several lead changes, and
after a controversial net call at 13-13, the Illini lost Game 3 13-15.
D3 All-Americans
Mark Tkaczuk (MVP)
Josh Scaletta (All-Tournament Setter)
Keith Podalak (All-Tournament Libero)
D1 All-Americans
Kevin Deeke
Miles Kilgallon
Doug Burchett
Kyle Bettenhausen |
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04/05/2009
Posted by:
Doug Burchett |
2009 NIRSA NATIONAL
CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Illinois Blue and Orange travel to Kansas City Missouri on April 8th
to compete in the National Championship Tournament. The tournament takes
place April 9-11.
Outlook for the Blue:
The Blue team is riding on a sixteen match win streak, which included
winning the Big Ten Championship, the Las Vegas Open and the MIVA
Championship. The lllini, which reached the National Championship Game
last year, are looking to become the first team in the program's history
to win a National Championship.
Part of the recent success has been the addition of Sophomore Karl
Miller into the starting lineup who, replacing an injured Emmett
Culligan, has become an offensive threat out of both the front and back
rows.
Outlook for the Orange:
The Illini Orange will compete in the 3rd division at Nationals. The
Orange recently won their
MIVA D2 Championship. The Orange are also looking to come home as
national champions, as the 3 game semi-final match a year ago. Freshmen
Keith Podalak has been a steady defensive force. Outside Andrew Gulik
has stepped up as an offensive option for the Orange. |
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03/9/2009
Posted by:
Doug Burchett |
ILLINOIS CLAIM MIVA CHAMPIONSHIPS
For the third straight year, both Illini
teams claimed the MIVA championships. The Blue and Orange
teams did not drop a single match this weekend. The Blue had a
successful day on Sunday, in which they faced Illinois State, Marquette,
Osh Kosh, and Lakeland in the Championship match. The Orange
bounced back from Vegas and won their 5th straight MIVA championship.
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11/26/2008
Posted by:
Doug Burchett |
ILLINI CAPTURE TWO CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES!
The Illinois Blue went home as champions
of the Hawkeye Illini tournament. This marks the Blue's third title
at this tournament over the last four years. The Blue did not drop a
single set and were able to use a variety of lineups. Kevin Deeke
had a phenomenal tournament, while Liberos Pat Condron and Joe Toth
had a great day as well.
In Ohio, the Illini Orange and White
played at the Dayton Classic. The Orange went home victorious, and
the White lost in the first of playoffs. Davis Joyce played a huge
role in the Illini win-stepping in as setter because of player
injuries.
All three teams will compete next on
home court advantage at the Illini 16 tournament on November 8th! |
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11/24/2008
Posted by:
Doug Burchett |
BLUE FINISHES FALL SEASON STRONG
The Blue team finished its fall season
at Loyola this past weekend. The Illini won their pool play pretty
easily and were able to use a few different line ups. Henry
Gottlieb, came off the bench and fired up the Illini in a tough
match against a USA men's team.
The Illini faced another tough USA men's team in the quarterfinals.
Strong blocking at the net was the key in the match. The Blue
quickly switched gears and played almost right away in the
semi-finals against a Lewis University Varsity squad. The Illini
came out strong in game one with a balanced attack and strong
serving. After winning game one 30-28, Lewis fired back with strong
serving and a tough middle attack. Lewis won game 2 30-24.
Lewis started game 3 quickly with a 3-0 lead. Trailing 8-4, the
Illini responded back and eventually took the lead 12-9. Senior
Kevin Deeke responded after some errors in game 2 with key kills in
game 3. After a back and forth match, in which the Illini had a
match point, the Blue fell to Lewis 16-18.
The tournament was the last for the semester, in which the Blue had
one of the strongest first semester's ever. Highlights included
three tournament championships, and only two matches lost. |
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11/23/2008
Posted by:
Doug Burchett\ |
The Illini Blue will begin pool play at
10 a.m on Saturday against St. Ambrose at the Hawkeye Illini
tournament. St. Ambrose is a NAIA team, so the Illini are looking to
beat a scholarship team for the fourth consecutive year. Following
that match, the Illini will face Iowa State at 12, and Missouri at
2. |
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11/17/08
Posted by:
Doug Burchett |
ILLINOIS SWEEPS HARDWOOD TOURNAMENT
Illinois added more hardware to its
collection this weekend, as both the Illini Blue and Orange brought
home the gold at this weekend's Back to the Hardwood at Michigan
State University.
The Blue pounded Wisconsin Milwaukee in
the Championships, after fighting off Grand Valley State, Ohio
State, and JMU in the playoffs. It was the first time in the club's
history that the Illini have won this tournament. The Illini used a
balanced attack from setter's Mike Ashida and Doug Burchett. Right
Side Kevin Deeke led all hitters, while senior Miles Kilgallon also
was a threat at the net in both offense and blocking.
While the Blue were making some noise,
the Orange also had an excellent tournament. The Orange took home
home the gold in Division 2, making it the team's 4th consecutive
year of winning the tournament. Freshman Libero Keith Podalak had an
excellent tournament for the Illini, leading the team in digs. |
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11/9/2008
Posted by:
Doug Burchett |
ILLINOIS ORANGE WINS HOME TOURNAMENT!
The Orange had a successful weekend as
they won the Illini 16. It was the Orange's first ever home
tournament win. The Illini beat College of Dupage in the finals in a
back and forth 3 game match. Outside hitter Joe Doughney had a
stellar match, getting kills at key moments late in the match.
The
Blue lost to College of Dupage in the semis, in a hard fought
close match. The Illini had leads in both games, but were not able
to close out the match. Sophomore Karl Miller had a great weekend
for the Illini.
The White had a tough day in Pool Play, but managed to bounce back
in the Silver Division and ended up losing in the Silver semifinals.
|
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11/4/2008
Posted by:
Doug Burchett
|
Come check out the Illini in action this Saturday, November 8th at
the ARC.
Pool play Schedule is as follows:
Illinois A (Blue): 8am against Wisconsin
B , 10am against Purdue, 1pm against Alumni A
Illinois B (Orange): 8 am against UIC,
10 am against Western Michigan, 1 pm against against
Alumni B
Illinois C (White): 9 am against College of Dupage, 10 am against
Ohio State, 12pm against Indiana B
Gold and Silver Playoffs begin around 3
pm |
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11/2/2008
Posted by:
Doug Burchett |
The
annual Illini 16 home tournament will take place this Saturday,
November 8th.
It has been a great start to the year
for both the Illinois Blue and Orange capturing 3 tournament titles.
The Illini Blue look to defend their title for the third consecutive
year, but will face some of the top teams in the Midwest. Ohio
State, Mizzou, Purdue, Wisconsin, Indiana, College of Dupage,
Western Michigan, UIC, and Depaul round out the teams looking to
upset the Illini on home court. Past Illinois players will also get to
throw on Illinois jerseys one more time. Two Illinois ALUMNI teams
will be present at the tournament, and will look to regain their
title since 2005.
The tournament will be held at the ARC and starts at 8 am. The
schedule for all 3 teams will be posted soon. |
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11/20/2008
Posted by:
Doug Burchett |
All three teams will be traveling this
weekend. The Blue team will be defending their title at the
Hawkeye-Illini tournament at the University of Iowa, while the
Orange and White teams will be at the University of Dayton. The
Orange teams starts pool play at 9 am against the University of
Dayton, and the White teams begins at 10 am against College of
Dupage. Good luck to all three teams and Go ILLINI! |
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10/14/2008
Posted by:
Doug Burchett |
CONGRATULATIONS to both the Blue and
Orange teams for making it to the championship game of the Hooiser
Fall Classic this weekend! The two teams decided to not play a
championship match.
This marks the third year out of the last four that the Illini Blue
have won this tournament! The blue team used a number of line ups
all day long. Strong ball control by all three liberos and a well-balanced attack helped the Illini not drop one set all tournament.
The Orange team had a strong showing
making it to the championship match for the first time and beating
many number one teams. As for the White team, who took a solid
second in the Silver division, they took Purdue to a close third set
match in pool play. |
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9/15/2008
Posted by:
Doug Burchett |
Welcome to the 2008-2009 season of
Illinois Men's Volleyball. This year marks the 25th year of our
club. This season once again features three of the top teams in the
country. Key Returning players for the Blue team are three time
All-American Kevin Deeke, two time All-American Miles Kilgallon, and
2008 Libero of the Year Joe Toth. The Blue team returns ten players
this year, and adds new faces at three different positions,
including D3 Libero of the Year Craig Podalak.
The Orange and White team also have many returning players, but
definitely add some depth with this year's Freshman class. Key
returning players for the Orange Team are David Joyce and Josh
Scalleta. The 2008 season kicks off at The Hoosier Classic at
Indiana University on October 4. |
|
9/25/08
Posted by:
Alex Paull |
High expectations for men's volleyball team
Doug Burchett, senior in Media and the captain of the men's club
volleyball team, watches his teammate Ryan Schuette, freshman in
Engineering, leap into the air before launching a serve during
practice on Tuesday night.
After a strong season in which the Blue
Team, Illinois Club Volleyball's top squad, came within a game of
making the National Championship match, they are back to compete
again. The heartbreak of defeat from coming so close would typically
deflate a team's spirit.
Just don't mention that to anyone on the Illini squad.
With the season kicking off in less than three weeks, expectations
have been raised to a new level and anything less than a
Championship is unacceptable.
The club had one of the highest turnouts ever at its tryouts Sept.
9.
According to Doug Burchett, president and co-captain of the Blue
Team, the team kept roughly 40 of the 86 players who tried out for
one of the club's three teams. One newcomer was selected by the Blue
Team, which is otherwise composed of all returning club players.
The addition of a freshman to a veteran squad isn't a concern for
either of the captains, though.
Miles Kilgallon, a senior staple of the 14-member Blue Team and
co-captain, is very excited about this year.
"This is a veteran group of kids who are starting on the same page,"
Kilgallon said. "Not having to teach the team the basics is a huge
relief and will help get the team prepared quicker."
If there is any concern about the team, it lies with regaining the
chemistry from last year. Burchett notes the upcoming weeks are a
chance for the team to get acclimated again and regain the chemistry
as it moves forward.
"After last semester's success, it's just a matter of clicking again
and transitioning from summer hiatus back into a competitive
mentality," Kilgallon said.
Along with the addition of a freshman, the Blue Team promoted two
players from the Orange Team to the mix. Junior Brendan Ori, the
club's treasurer, has already noticed the differences from playing
on the Orange Team last year to the Blue Team this year.
"The game feels a lot faster and the competition is greater," Ori
said. "There is a strong need to step up my game and stay more
alert. There is no room to bring the effort level down on the Blue
Team."
Ori not only has high expectations for the team but expects more out
of the players as individuals for the season.
Henry Gottlieb, the other call-up, is also expected to step up and
battle for a spot.
"We're looking for someone to step into the role of the second
outside hitter," Burchett said. "We want (Gottlieb) fighting for a
position, and see which player really wants it the most."
Ultimately, neither has any concern about playing time and both
understand the team-first philosophy, doing whatever is asked of
them to win a National Championship.
The first test for the team in its pursuit of the National
Championship is the Hoosier Fall Classic, which kicks off Oct. 4.
While Burchett acknowledges the tournament does not have much
bearing on its season, he hopes the team will learn from it to get
ready for the tough schedule that lies ahead come winter.
"The tournament is the team's litmus test to see where we need
improvement and what needs more focus in practice to improve for the
rest of the season," Kilgallon said. "The goal is to win every
tournament, and this is just the first step."
While the team lost in the quarterfinals last season, just one year
after winning the tournament, Burchett envisions an all-Illini final
this year.
"I like where things are right now," Burchett said. "I feel the team
is deeper this year, and I think we can win it." |
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5/1/08
Posted by:
Kate Munson
|
Club teams reflect on successful year, accomplishments
Noteworthy season shows drive, talent of UI men's volleyball
While they may not have won it all at
the NIRSA championships, the Illini did earn plenty of individual
accolades. Blue Team members Kevin Deeke and Miles Kilgallon were
each named to the D-I first team all-tournament while teammate Joe
Toth was named all-tournament libero. In D-III play, Orange Team
member Craig Podalak was named the all-tournament libero.
Still, second place doesn't sit too
well.
"To be honest, the end of our season was
very disappointing compared to how great the rest of our season
was," said Burchett. "I felt that there was no way it could end
without the two's being crowned National Champs. Well, we lost to
Cal-Berkeley in the semi's in a game that we should have won. We
were the best team in our division, and next year we are going to
come back and prove it."
The White Team may be Illinois' C team,
but that doesn't make it any less competitive. In fact, the
2007-2008 season marked a key milestone for the team, as it claimed
the first ever tournament victory for the Illinois White at the
Bradley Tournament after defeating St. Ambrose in three games.
That particular weekend was especially
historic for the club, as each team won its own respective
tournament on the same weekend for the first time in program
history. Combined, they went 20-0 in matches and 40-1 in games.
Playing on the White Team is about more
than just winning, though.
"What I really love about this team is
everybody gets along. I've never been on a team with such good team
chemistry," said Steve Hanowsky, captain of the White Team.
"I play back row, so I just pass the ball and watch them do their
thing, and I've never seen it like that before. It's really fun to
watch."
To wrap up the season, the White Team traveled to the University of
Chicago to compete in the Midwest Collegiate Volleyball Association
(MCVA) Championship, where it placed third out of 16 teams after
falling to in-state rival Western Illinois.
But the White Team expects to come back even stronger next season,
especially with all of its members returning.
"Next year we should be really good, we should be even better,"
Hanowsky said. "We want to definitely win a lot more next year to
show that we can be just as good as anybody else."
One of the overriding themes of the club is its camaraderie and
desire to win. The combination is strong, and even though the season
may be over, they already have high hopes for next year.
"This has been an unbelievable year in terms of chemistry on and off
the court," Burchett said. "When we lost in the championship game,
we all huddled up for one last time, and there was no reason to hang
our heads because we definitely proved we were the best team in the
country this year. I was so proud of our team this year and how much
we stuck together."
Men's club volleyball has a strong tradition at Illinois, dating
back to 1984. But for all three of the program's teams, this season
was especially remarkable.
The Blue Team is the Fighting Illini's "A" team and participates in
the most tournaments each year. This season, it won its second
consecutive Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA)
Division I title while riding a 35-match winning streak. The title
complemented its Big Ten Men's Volleyball Association (BTMVA)
regular season and tournament championship victories.
And plans for next season are even more ambitious.
"This year we really focused on our serving and defense," said Doug
Burchett, club vice president and captain of the Blue Team. "I would
like to see our team become a better 'out of system' team, which
means getting kills when we don't have a perfect pass. Otherwise,
our goal is to get back to that championship game and win a National
Championship."
In Division II play, the Orange (B) Team clinched the MIVA
Championship by defeating rival University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and
ended its official MIVA season without losing a single game en route
to snagging its fifth consecutive MIVA title. The Orange Team also
claimed the BTMVA title for its division, as well as the BTMVA
tournament championship.
"Our team's biggest accomplishment was the amount of respect that we
earned from all the other programs in the country," Orange Team
member Brendan Ori said. "It's not easy fielding one really good
team, but Illinois' club team has two legit teams, and the (White
Team) is not that far behind. It speaks volumes about the amount of
talent that we have and the amount of work that we put in."
Both the Blue and Orange teams concluded the season by travelling to
Dallas, where they competed in the National Intramural-Recreational
Sports Association (NIRSA) National Volleyball Championships.
The Blue Team competed in D-I and finished second in the gold
bracket, losing to Lakeland College in two close games. Meanwhile,
Illinois Orange took third in the D-III gold bracket after losing to
eventual second-place finishers, UC Berkeley.
While they may not have won it all at the NIRSA championships, the
Illini did earn plenty of individual accolades. Blue Team members
Kevin Deeke and Miles Kilgallon were each named to the D-I first
team all-tournament while teammate Joe Toth was named all-tournament
libero. In D-III play, Orange Team member Craig Podalak was named
the all-tournament libero.
Still, second place doesn't sit too well.
"To be honest, the end of our season was very disappointing compared
to how great the rest of our season was," said Burchett. "I felt
that there was no way it could end without the two's being crowned
National Champs. Well, we lost to Cal-Berkeley in the semi's in a
game that we should have won. We were the best team in our division,
and next year we are going to come back and prove it."
The White Team may be Illinois' C team, but that doesn't make it any
less competitive. In fact, the 2007-2008 season marked a key
milestone for the team, as it claimed the first ever tournament
victory for the Illinois White at the Bradley Tournament after
defeating St. Ambrose in three games.
That particular weekend was especially historic for the club, as
each team won its own respective tournament on the same weekend for
the first time in program history. Combined, they went 20-0 in
matches and 40-1 in games.
Playing on the White Team is about more than just winning, though.
"What I really love about this team is everybody gets along. I've
never been on a team with such good team chemistry," said Steve
Hanowsky, captain of the White Team.
"I play back row, so I just pass the
ball and watch them do their thing, and I've never seen it like that
before. It's really fun to watch."
To wrap up the season, the White Team
traveled to the University of Chicago to compete in the Midwest
Collegiate Volleyball Association (MCVA) Championship, where it
placed third out of 16 teams after falling to in-state rival Western
Illinois.
But the White Team expects to come back
even stronger next season, especially with all of its members
returning.
"Next year we should be really good, we
should be even better," Hanowsky said. "We want to definitely win a
lot more next year to show that we can be just as good as anybody
else."
One of the overriding themes of the club
is its camaraderie and desire to win. The combination is strong, and
even though the season may be over, they already have high hopes for
next year.
"This has been an unbelievable year in
terms of chemistry on and off the court," Burchett said. "When we
lost in the championship game, we all huddled up for one last time,
and there was no reason to hang our heads because we definitely
proved we were the best team in the country this year. I was so
proud of our team this year and how much we stuck together." |
|
4/15/08
Posted by:
Lee Feder |
Illinois men's volleyball: silently victorious over the years
The best and most accomplished sports
team associated with the University of Illinois happens to be one of
the least known. Illinois men's volleyball, or IMVB, continues to
fly under the radar, well, because volleyball is a "girls'" sport,
or so said a lady on the airplane back from Dallas on Sunday morning
when 20-odd six-footers wearing IMVB clothes scanned the Southwest
flight for spare seats.
Admittedly, men's volleyball is, like hockey, a club sport here in
Champaign. Actually, it is a club sport at most universities because
of the perfect storm of its sparse yet devoted following, Title IX
and the relative anonymity of the men's game. Men's volleyball is a
truly great sport - one that few ever have the chance to appreciate,
and the Illinois club is a truly great program. In fact, stating
that IMVB is the best club in the nation would not be a stretch.
While clubs in California and elsewhere in the Midwest have coaches
and easy access to practice and tournament space not only at their
colleges but also in local convention centers, the Illinois team
works closely with the school to maximize its use of scant
resources, all without a separate coach or club organizer. Each team
member pays dues and works various fundraising events to help pay
for the exorbitant cost of travel. Teams cram too many guys into too
little space at tournaments that are too far away. Through it all,
Illinois wins.
Really, how good are the three teams that compose IMVB? The Blue
team finished second this year, preceded by six straight third-place
finishes, while the Orange team ended the season at third, preceded
by a third and two second-place finishes. The Illinois White team,
the one the national organizing body foolishly does not let attend
the national championships, regularly beats other schools' only
team, finished third in its conference and wins tournaments.
Incidentally, the Blue team carried a 35-match winning streak into
the national tournament this past weekend - and extended it to 43,
going to decisive third games only six times during the streak.
The records and accomplishments, though,
pale in comparison to the quality of people who compose the club.
Every student organization likes to boast that it has the
highest-caliber Illini, but as someone who has been active on campus
for six years, I will testify that the IMVB Fighting Illini for the
2007-08 season are among the finest men I have ever had the pleasure
to know. Those 44 guys and their families make significant monetary,
temporal and academic sacrifices to play a game they love and few
others appreciate.
In 2008-09, the teams should be even
stronger, and I hope the UI student body will take advantage of the
rare occasions when they play in Champaign. Men's volleyball is a
thing of beauty, and those who have never seen it played properly,
as the IMVB teams do, should watch the Olympic matches on television
this summer before coming out to support the Illini next year.
A significant factor in IMVB's success
is that the state of Illinois is one of very few to have a developed
boys high school volleyball program. That infratstructure, combined
with a developed out-of-school club organization, has made Illinois
the second-strongest state for men's volleyball. Ultimately, though,
the club owes its unparalleled success to, and duly thanks, the 44
students listed below, their families, their friends and significant
others, their alumni, Ed Morford, Kristin Duitsman, the University's
RSO/SORF system and the club's good friends, Dewey and Linda Jones.
Congratulations, everyone, on a
fantastic season.
Michael Ashida, Kyle Bettenhausen, Doug
Burchett, Timmy Carioscio, Kevin Carroll, Mike Cleary, Patrick
Condron, Jim Covert, Emmett Culligan, Kevin Deeke, Joe Doughney, Sam
Eisenberg, Dan Fey, Henry Gottlieb, Stephan Hanowsky, John Holmstrom,
Trey Horvath, Matt Janas, David Joyce, Miles Kilgallon, Mike Konrad,
Kevin Martinez, Karl Miller, Matt Morris, Steve Mui, Brendan Ori,
Brandon Owen, Craig Podalak, Tom Root, Kurt Royer. Tim Ruberry. Josh
Scaletta, Brian Shea, Robert Shintani, Eric Sipos, Steve Tasch, Mark
Tkaczuk, Joe Toth, Chris Walstra, Sam Wheeler, Pat Whelan, Randal
Zhou and Ben Zintak
Lee is a senior in mechanical
engineering and the outgoing president of Illinois men's volleyball.
He specifically thanks Doug Burchett, Pat Condron and Miles
Kilgallon for making this year the greatest ever.
© Copyright 2008 The Daily Illini |
|
4/7/2008
Posted by:
Lee Feder
|
Congratulations to Illinois White - Record-high
Third in the MCVA Conference.
The team cruised
through pool play and the first round of the playoffs before facing
season-long rival Western Illinois in the semis. Two hard fought
games fell on the wrong side for the Illini, closing the most
successful season in Illinois White's history.
Congratulations on a phenomenal year! |
|
3/24/2008
Posted by:
Lee Feder |
Chalk up another big tournament victory for Illinois
Blue!!
Both Illini Blue and Orange headed west for some
fun in the Las Vegas sun and took on the best the West can offer.
Both teams passed the test, with Illinois Blue topping UC Davis for
the first ever IMVB tournament victory west of the Rockies. The win
came in a dominating sweep after tighter victories against
powerhouse Arizona A and a solid California-Berkeley.
Illinois Orange also performed admirably, finishing second in its
pool before dropping a challenge match to the eventual runner up. In
silver, the Illini had a rough first draw against UCF – the
Hoosier-Illini runner-up – but took the Florida Mustache Men to
three games. Ultimately, the sun wore out the boys in blue on day
two of the tournament, with the trip ending in a three game loss to
#18 Sacramento State.
Congratulations to both Illinois teams, and onwards to the MIVA
conference championships! |
|
3/16/2008
Posted by:
Lee Feder
|
Another Big Ten Sweep
May we all extend a hearty
congratulations to the University of Illinois for completing another BTMVA sweep! Illinois Blue won its third consecutive Division I
championship and dominated the competition, not dropping a single
game en route to a tournament-clinching win over Michigan State.
Congratulations to the U of I team for its domination of a
revitalized BTMVA. Illinois Orange went undefeated in match play,
maintaining its hold on the BTMVA Division II title.
IMVB wishes to salute all its athletes, as it feels that every
member from the outside through the libero deserves an honor for his
hard work and contributions to team success.
For Illinois Blue and Orange, it is now westward to Las Vegas for a
transcontinental spring break showdown! |
|
3/2/2008
Posted by:
Lee Feder |
The first ever Illinois Exhibition was
an unqualified success! Friends and family came to watch Illinois
Blue bounce Purdue and Illinois Orange efficiently defeat Illinois
State. As an encore, Blue played Orange, with Blue surviving a tough
match.
Special thanks to Purdue and ISU for making the trip out here! |
|
3/1/2008
Posted by:
Lee Feder |
YOU
CAN PUT 'EM ON THE BOARD!!!
For the first time in Illinois Men's
Volleyball history, all three teams won their tournaments on the
same weekend, compiling an astounding 20-0 match and 40-1 game
record.
The success began with Illinois White's rout of the Bradley
tournament, where they stormed through pool play and the Gold
bracket to face St. Ambrose JV. After dropping a challenging game 1,
the Illini regrouped and annihilated the St. Ambrose squad to claim
the first ever Illinois White tournament victory!
In Columbus, Ohio at the MIVA conference championships, the
destruction continued. Illinois Orange blitzed teams on day one,
outscoring their group opponents 200-114 in four easy matches. In
Gold on Sunday, the Illini continue to cruise, stomping on Eastern
Michigan while playing without any outsides or middles for the first
game. The championship pitted the boys in blue against longtime
rival UW Oshkosh-II, who fell in two games to Illinois Orange for
the second time this year. Illinois Orange ends the official MIVA
season not having dropped a single game.
In Division I and the MIVA championships, Illinois extended their
winning streak to 35 matches. After breezing through a difficult
group schedule that featured #3 Lakeland, Illinois dismantled teams
early in Gold before actually being challenged by the host OSU team
in the semifinals and Lakeland again for the crown.
The MIVA titles represent an unprecedented 5th straight DII
championship for Illinois Orange and nicely complement their BTMVA
title while Illinois Blue ran the streak to 2 straight MIVA DI
titles and match their BTMVA tournament and regular season crowns.
Up next for IMVB are the MCVA conference championships (Illinois
White) and the NIRSA National Championships. Keep fighting, Illini,
and bring home some more hardware! |
|
2/29/2008
Posted by:
Katie Munson |
Club volleyball to host tourney
Men's volleyball is not something that
you will hear a lot about on campus, but for the 40-plus players who
practiced Tuesday night at Huff Hall, volleyball is a serious sport.
"It's one of the most competitive club teams we have at the
University, and not that many people know about it," said junior
Doug Burchett, vice president of the club.
The Illinois Men's Volleyball Club, or IMVB, is a Registered Student
Organization and respected across the country as one of the elite
collegiate volleyball clubs. IMVB consists of three teams competing
in three separate divisions. "It's a pretty prestigious club
team nationally, so we're looking to at least keeping that prestige
going," added senior Chris Walstra.
As the IMVB's most competitive squad, the blue team is consistently
ranked at the top of the Big Ten, the Midwest Intercollegiate
Volleyball Association, or MIVA, and the National
Intramural-Recreational Sports Association, or NIRSA. The
squad finished third in Division I eight of the last nine years and
won the Big Ten Men's Volleyball Association tournament two years in
a row, as well as the MIVA in 2007. This season was also
the second consecutive year the team finished as the top squad in
regular-season play.
The orange team, which competes in the second division of MIVA and
NIRSA, finished in the top three of Division III its last three
Nationals and has won the MIVA the last four years.
The white team competes locally, playing in six to seven tournaments
a year. "We have a lot of really good guys at all three
levels," said Burchett. "We're just really competitive, It's not
really just a club sport. It's really great competition throughout
the entire year."
The IMVB is coming off a very successful weekend at the
Hoosier-Illini Classic, which saw the blue team go 8-0 to take the
title while the orange team finished in a respectable ninth place.
"Our team is doing pretty well I think," said senior Jim Covert, a
member of the orange team. "We took ninth at this last
tournament against a bunch of (Division I) teams. We took down No. 6
Utah Valley State, so that was a really good time,"
This Saturday is a chance to see Illini men's volleyball in action.
The blue team will be playing Purdue at 7:30 p.m., followed by the
orange playing Illinois State at 8:30 p.m. in the Kenney Gym Annex.
Both teams are ranked in the country right now, so it's a great
chance to see really competitive volleyball," said Burchett.
Because the teams play in so many tournaments on the road, their
excitement is even higher with the chance to play for the home
crowd. "Besides our home tournaments, this is like the only
thing that we have here this year," said Covert. |
|
2/25/2008
Posted by:
Lee Feder
|
For the first time since 2003, a host of
the Hoosier-Illini Classic is also the victor. A well- deserved
congratulations to Illinois-Blue for a phenomenal HIC performance.
After a solid Saturday in pool play, the Illini came out swinging
Sunday in the Gold Bracket, tearing through Navy in the opening
round. However, Ohio State in the quarterfinals proved a difficult
opponent, pushing the Illini to the brink with game point in the
third set before the Illini found a way to eke out the set.
From then on, the tournament was all-Illini all the time. The Boys
in Blue shredded Lakeland in game 1 before enduring a stiffer
challenge in game 2. The championship very much mirrored the
semifinal match, with the cohosts dominating with aggressive
serving, unshakable defense, monstrous blocking, and powerful
hitting. Congratulations again on a great tournament.
Illini-Orange also traveled to the Hoosier-Illini Classic and had a
very successful tournament. After some disappointing pool play
matches, the Illini showed their muscle in bouncing Iowa State to
Silver. The crossover round saw the Illini pitted against nationally
ranked no. 6 Utah Valley State. A ticket to Gold awaited the winner
while the loser would fall to silver. The Illini prevailed, though,
dominating UVS in games 2 and 3.
Playoffs saw the Orange facing off against national no. 23
Marquette–and winning. The next match featured the now-streaking
Illini against undefeated and no. 1 UW-Oshkosh. Despite a dominating
game 1, the Illini fell in 3, tying for 9th.
Great efforts to all teams and congratulations on bringing home the
hardware! |
|
2/14/2008
Posted by:
Lee Feder |
Congratulations to IMVB-Orange on their
resounding success at the MIVA DII Playdate at MSU. Continuing their
recent success in the state of Michigan, Illinois steamrolled all
opposition to a 5- 0, 10-0 match/game record at Michigan State. This
completes a year in which the team did not lose so much as a game in
the state of Michigan. The culmination of the playdate was an
emphatic thrashing of UW Oshkosh-II, a well-respected and
competitive opponent.
Similarly, IMVB-White traveled to Western Illinois and thumped their
way to a 3rd place finish, falling to host WIU in the semifinals.
Many congratulations on the success.
As the season progresses, continue to expect Illinois to progress at
all three levels. Each team has high hopes for its conference
tournament and has been working non-stop with end-of-season
accolades in mind |
|
2/11/2008
Posted by:
Lee Feder |
Congratulations to Illinois-Blue on
their Big Ten Men's Volleyball Association league victory! The
Illini went 8-1 in league play, falling only to Wisconsin in a
let-down game before trouncing ranked Michigan State, Indiana, and
Minnesota. While failing to garner the sweep, the Illini looked
fantastic in a title clinching shellacking of Minnesota, winning
25-16, 25-9. Watch for a rematch on March 15 when all the BTMVA
teams visit Champaign for the conference tournament. |
|
2/5/2008
Posted by:
Lee Feder |
Congratulations to Illinois-White on
their strong showing at Iowa State this past weekend. Braving poor
road conditions, the Illini swept through pool play and the first
round of the playoffs before eventually falling in the second round
of tournament play to Olivet.
While each of the three Illinois teams have had acceptable showings,
thus far, all have quite a ways to go to match the success of first
semester and their expectations of themselves. |
|
1/27/2008
Posted by:
Lee Feder |
Congratulations to Illini-Blue who took
3rd at the Oshkosh tournament, falling in a heartbreaker to the
hosts in 3.
The Orange team also attended and lost 3 incredibly tight matches to
top teams in pool play, including a thriller to reigning 2-time
national champs Oshkosh in 3. They closed out the tournament with an
old-fashioned win against Wisconsin. |
|
1/4/2008
Posted by:
Lee Feder |
Happy new years to everyone.
First practice of second semester will be Tuesday January 15 from
8-10 pm at Huff Hall. Note the change in time.
We're all looking forward to building on the successes of first
semester and continuing the Illini tradition of volleyball
dominance. |
|
12/2/2007
Posted by:
Lee Feder |
Congratulations to the Blue team for a
stellar performance at the Loyola Invitational. They took down club,
USAV and varsity teams alike en route to a second place finish.
The Orange team performed admirably at Notre Dame, gritting out a
brutal third game against Ball State to win 22-20, but falling to
Indiana A in the semifinals.
The White team traveled to Ames, Iowa for the A-town throwdown and
return with a chalice of silver. Enduring hours of corn to the far
reaches of the Midwest, they won the silver division.
Congratulations to IMVB-Orange on their
dominant victory at MSU Hardwood this past weekend. En route to a
third consecutive Hardwood title, the team did not drop so much as a
game, going 7-0, and 14-0. The team came out firing on bracket day,
lighting up Wisconsin B in a defeat of epic proportions before
continuing their methodical destruction of all comers. Orange will
go to Notre Dame on 12/1to continue their stretch of dominance.
IMVB Blue faced a stiffer challenge, but won their pool handily.
They fell in a tough playoff match to MSU, but are fired up and
ready to take down the best competition of the semester at Loyola on
12/1. |
|
11/11/2007
Posted by:
Lee Feder
|
Posted on congratulations to the Blue,
Orange, and White teams on a good Indiana tournament. The Blue team
facing the hardest pool and the the toughest draw in the playoffs,
exited in the quarterfinals with a loss to USAV - Brandon Kelly. The
Orange team defeated the White team in the Gold Quarterfinals before
losing to Illini-killer USAV - Brandon Kelly. |
|
11/7/2007
Posted by:
Alex Iniguez |
Men's club volleyball team wins
Hawkeye-Illini Classic
The Illinois men's volleyball club's blue team smashed its opponents
en route to an easy tournament victory at the Hawkeye-Illini Classic
on Saturday. After a tough loss to Wisconsin in two games, the
Illini unit came together and did not lose a game the rest of the
tournament. The Illini defeated Augustana and Northern
Illinois in pool play, and then beat Augustana a second time,
Marquette, and St. Ambrose to get to the title game.
"This was some of the best volleyball I've seen us play in the three
years I've been here," said junior Doug Burchett, the volleyball
club vice president. "We definitely played strong from start to
finish and we're just connecting on all parts of the game."
The club came up huge in the championship game, crushing Quincy
25-17, 25-14 to claim the title.
Junior Kevin Deeke led the team with 35
kills in the tournament, and sophomore outside hitter Emmett
Culligan wasn't far behind with 31. "Culligan
has definitely stepped up his level of play and has become another
go-to player on our team," Burchett said. "Joe Toth played
phenomenal at libero; he really set the tone of defense for the
team."
The Illinois men's volleyball club is composed of three teams. The
blue team competes in about 12 tournaments per year as part of the
first division of the Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball
Association, and the National Intramural-Recreational Sports
Association.
The orange team travels to about eight tournaments a year, competing
in the second divisions of MIVA and NIRSA. The white team competes
in local competitions, participating in about six or seven
tournaments a year.
The blue and orange teams take the court on Nov. 10 in East Lansing,
Mich., in the 18th annual Spartan Back to the Hardwood Tournament.
The Illini squads are two of 60 teams competing in the tournament.
The white team is idle until Dec. 1 when it travels to Ames, Iowa,
for the inaugural A-Town Throw Down Tournament. |
|
10/15/2007
Posted by: El Presidentissimo |
Nice job to all teams, but much work
remains for all three teams |
|
1/17/2007
Posted by:
Greg Noonkester |
Practices for second semester will
resume this Thursday at Kenney Gym |
|
11/16/2006
Posted by:
Cole Cruz |
Men's club team volleys for big win
Only tournament at home a success; Team finishes 6-0
 The
Illinois men's club volleyball team has been struggling to close out
matches all season long. Finally, it appears the squad is
learning what it feels like to win. Steve Tasch of the men's
club volleyball blue team returns the ball during a match at the
Illini 16 Tournament at Huff Hall, Saturday.
Hosting their only tournament of the
year, the Illini (21-3) swept through the field to the tune of a 6-0
record. The team went on to win in the finals against Illinois
Alumni B, who had won the tournament the previous three years.
"I felt we played very well this weekend," junior setter Chris
Walstra said. "I thought that the team finally got into a nice
rhythm in the playoffs." During the first two games of pool
play, the Illini easily handled both the University of Iowa and
Indiana University in successive sets. After winning the first
game against the Illini Alumni, the squad dropped the second 25-15
before finishing off the older Alumni in three games.
"That's a squad (Alumni B) that has played together for almost a
decade, so they are a very challenging group," senior middle blocker
Ryan Fabrizius said. "In fact, never before in my career have we
beaten an alumni team in the playoffs of a tournament." In the
playoffs, the Illini beat a solid University of Notre Dame team that
gave Illinois fits all last season. The win against the Irish
set up the final matchup with the Alumni team. "I think this
tournament we were finally starting to understand what it meant to
win a game," sophomore libero Pat Condron said. "Instead of taking
the lead and relaxing like we have done in the past, we took the
lead and ran with it."
The defense that has been inconsistent at best for Illinois this
season ended up being one of the team's strongest points this
weekend. "The defense was pretty stellar," Fabrizius said. "We were
very scrappy, which made up for some of the shortcomings of the
blocking." After traveling all season, the Illini did not only
enjoy winning their own tournament, but getting a chance to play in
front of their home crowd as well. "I always look forward to
playing here at home," Walstra said. "Not only families get to come,
but our friends also get a chance to see us play." "We had a
pretty good fan turnout," Fabrizius said. "To feel a little bit more
like our sport matters to someone other than us was great."
Illinois will practice for the next two weeks before heading to
Michigan State University for the Back to the Hardwood Tournament on
Dec. 2-3. The Illini second team also played in the
tournament, going 2-1 in pool play and losing to the Illinois first
team in the playoffs. |
|
11/9/2006
Posted by:
Cole Cruz |
Men's club volleyball sets lineup, hangs tough
Despite only a 2-2 finish this past weekend at Lewis University in
Romeoville, Ill., the Illinois men's club volleyball team's tough
play against top competition was reason for excitement.
The Illini pushed Lewis' varsity squad to the tournament cap, losing
the match 25-18, 27-26. Even with the loss, the team finished second
in the pool and earned a No. 7 seed in the gold tournament, where
they eventually were defeated at the hands of an accomplished United
States of America volleyball team, TPC.
"The fact that we were hanging with a varsity team was an
accomplishment for us," said setter Chris Walstra. "We don't even
have a coach."
Illinois was simply overmatched against the more experienced TPC
squad. After losing the first game 25-19, the squad took TPC to the
brink, 30-28. It is this performance that gives the Illini hope for
the future. "We're on the road we need to be in order to get
to the championship," said backside hitter Kevin Deeke.
For the first time, the Illini went into the tournament with a set
starting lineup. This step is different from past years, in which
the team usually waited until the spring to name the starters.
Walstra and Deeke were both starters, along with outside hitters Dan
Maxwell and Steve Jeffries, middle Ryan Fabrizius, and libero Jim
Mazurski. Big contributions also came off the bench from sophomore
libero Pat Condron and two freshmen outside hitters, Emmett Culligan
and Joe Toth. The decision to go with a set starting lineup this
early in the season was made to increase the intensity in practice.
"Hopefully the fact that we're starting to have a more set lineup
will benefit us this weekend and into the future," Walstra said.
"We're looking to see people competing and earning those starting
spots."
"It definitely gives a chance to bring the team closer together,"
Deeke said. "When you play with the same players, it makes you
stronger as a team."
Another bright spot for Illinois this past weekend was the
improvement on the defensive end, where the team has been struggling
all year. Walstra attributed the improvement to a new attitude on
the defensive side of the ball.
"I think we had a much better attitude on defense this weekend and a
much better desire to win," Walstra said. "I think that's why we
were hanging with some of those better teams."
Senior middle blocker Ryan Fabrizius believes there were a few
specific times throughout the tournament when the team was clicking
on all cylinders.
"I saw at specific moments, especially in our third pool game which
we had to win to move on to the tournament, where we were on fire,"
Fabrizius said. "It was good to see that we could be untouchable for
a while, but we could still be more consistent."
Illinois will host its only tournament of the year on Saturday.
Games will be played at Huff Hall and Kenney Gym. The Illini will
play all of their games at Huff. |
|
|
|
|
11/3/06 |
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: Men's club volleyball team to face Lewis
University
The Illinois men's club volleyball squad is looking to make some
noise against the stacked field this weekend at the Lewis Pre-Season
Tournament in Romeoville, IL.
The tournament will provide the toughest challenge yet for the
Illini (13-1), who are coming off a loss two weeks ago to the
University of Marquette in the semifinals of the Hawkeye-Illini
Classic. There will be six varsity teams, nine United States of
America Volleyball (USAV) teams, and five collegiate club teams.
"I believe we have the chance to stir things up this weekend if we
stay focused and play smart volleyball," sophomore setter Doug
Burchett said. "There's nothing more frustrating for a 'better' team
than to lose to an underdog."
Illinois is going to be tested against Lewis University and Loyola
University-Chicago, two top-notch Division 1-A programs.
"We'll obviously have to keep our eyes out for everyone, but we do
have our sights on one team," junior setter Chris Walstra said. "We
will play Lewis University during pool play, and I think our biggest
goal is to beat them."
The Illini are hoping that the added intensity and hard work in
practice will pay off this weekend. Team blocking and defense was of
extra emphasis the past two weeks as the inability to be consistent
on the defensive end hurt the team in Iowa City.
"Our offense is our best attribute, but without the defense to go
along with it, we've seen that we can struggle," Walstra said.
A big lift for the Illinois squad this weekend is the return of
middle blocker Ryan Fabrizius from knee injury. The senior will not
be 100-percent however, and is actually scheduled to see an
orthopedist to get a medical opinion. Arthroscopic surgery will
likely be involved.
Even with Fabrizius back, the consistency issue is somewhat of a
concern, especially with the team switching lineups as often as the
Illini do.
"The big fix that we need to rebound from Iowa is consistency, which
can only come from mental toughness," Fabrizius said. "We really
need to work tough in practice and compete against the good teams
that we will see this weekend in order to strengthen our team
mentally."
Fabrizius believes that the keys to success are consistent passing,
solid blocking, and mental toughness.
"The intensity (in practice) has been pretty good, so hopefully it
carries over into this weekend," Burchett said.
After this weekend's tournament, Illinois will be hosting its only
tournament of the year next weekend, Nov. 11. |
|
10/26/06
Posted by:
Cole Cruz |
Club volleyball loses in semifinals of tourney to Marquette
The Illinois men's club volleyball team came up short this past
weekend losing in the semifinals to the University of Marquette at
the Hawkeye-Illini Classic in Iowa City, Iowa. The Illini were
undefeated through the tournament before meeting the Golden Eagles.
After splitting the first two games with their Midwest rival, the
Illini (4-1) blew a 12-10 lead in the deciding game. They gave up
five straight points en route to their first loss of the year.
"We didn't capitalize on our lead and that's something we'll have to
work on," said sophomore libero Pat Condron.
Despite being successful with rotating starting lineups all day, the
Illini were victimized by ruts with certain lineups in the
semifinals and the Golden Eagles (6-1) took advantage.
"We tried a lot of different things this weekend, a lot of different
lineups," said sophomore outside hitter Kevin Deeke. "We learned
from the loss and now we know what we need to do. It's just a matter
of doing it."
The Illini were also without senior middle blocker Ryan Fabrizius,
who was forced to miss the tournament with knee problems. Fabrizius
not only brings leadership to the table for Illinois, but more
importantly, a 6'8" frame.
"Ryan was a key injury," junior setter Chris Walstra said. "We had a
freshman playing in his place, which I think affected us a little
bit. We still felt we should've won. As a whole, we didn't play as
well as we could have."
Fabrizius was back practicing on Tuesday. Illinois breezed through
pool play, piling up a plus-48 point differential. The squad didn't
give up more than 20 points in any game until their second-round
meeting with the University of Iowa. All three pool-play opponents
fell to the Illini in two games. They defeated Division-III St.
Ambrose University, Illinois State University and Division-II Quincy
University. This gave the Illini a No. 1 seed going into the
tournament and a first-round bye.
After dropping their first game to the University of Iowa 25-22,
Illinois bounced back to overwhelm the Hawkeyes in the final two
games 25-15, 15-8. Up against a well-coached Marquette squad, the
Illini won the first game 25-20 before dropping the last two games
25-16, 15-12.
Even with the loss, the Illini are upbeat about the upcoming
tournament in two weeks at Lewis University.
"This one is going to be very tough," Deeke said. "We're going up
against a lot of upper-level teams. If we go through practice, and
do what we need to get done, I don't see why we couldn't come out in
at least the top two."
The squad will look to tighten things up on offense to prevent the
ruts that did them in against Marquette and work on the blocking
that Walstra believes still needs work. Fabrizius also felt that
consistency needed to be improved upon.
"Now that (Fabrizius) is kind of coming back a bit and starting to
feel better, I think we'll be playing at a much higher level than we
have been," Condron said. |
|
10/18/2006
Posted by:
Cole Cruz |
Men's club volleyball dominates tournament
After taking first, second and third at the Hoosier Classic two
weeks ago, the men's club volleyball teams head into this weekend's
third annual Hawkeye-Illini Co-Ed Invitational with a full head of
steam.
The Illini entered three teams into the tournament and did not lose
a match until they were forced to play each other.
"The fact that we're winning right away is a big confidence
booster," junior setter Chris Walstra said.
"But like I was telling the guys at the end of the tournament, it
just means that everyone is going to be gunning for us for the rest
of the year," Walstra said.
Winning this weekend in Iowa City will not come as easily for the
Illini. Division II powerhouse Quincy will have both its varsity and
junior varsity teams competing in the Invitational. D-III St.
Ambrose will also field two teams.
The club competition will be an upgrade this weekend, with the likes
of Marquette University and the University of Minnesota attending.
The Illini are looking to get big contributions from young freshmen
Emmett Culligan and Joe Toth, two outside hitters that impressed in
last week's performance in Bloomington.
"I thought I did well passing-wise, but my hitting and timing still
need work," Toth said. "Our passing as a team was phenomenal
throughout the whole tournament."
What makes the Illini tough is their multi-faceted talent. The
Illini have depth and team chemistry to go along with a high-powered
offense.
"Our offense is definitely our strength," sophomore setter Doug
Burchett said. "With our passing, I think our offense is
unstoppable."
The Illini are so deep that starters are not even named in the fall,
letting the Illini mix and match different lineups.
"Everyone gets along really well on the court," Culligan said. "It's
got a really good flow to it."
All these aspects lead to a supreme confidence brewing for the
Illini as they approach this upcoming tournament.
"If we can do what we did last weekend and build on that, I think
we'll be all right," sophomore libero Pat Condron said.
"All we can do is what we have been doing: playing hard in practice,
keeping the offenses mixed up and keeping everyone on their toes,"
Condron said.
There will be 12 teams at the Invitational this weekend. The Illini
will begin pool play Saturday against in-state rival Illinois State
at 10 a.m., followed by St. Ambrose at noon, and Quincy at 2 p.m.
The women's club volleyball team will also compete. |
|
10/5/2006
Posted by:
Cole Cruz |
Illini men's club volleyball team begins season with Hoosier Classic
Team 'warm-up' planned for first preseason play
Chris Walstra, junior in Engineering and captain of the Illinois
men's club volleyball team, sets the ball at practice in Kenney Gym
Annex in Urbana Tuesday night.
The team practices every Tuesday and Thursday and travels to up to
12 tournaments every year.
The Illinois men's club volleyball team heads into its first
preseason tournament of the year this weekend at the seventh annual
Hoosier Fall Classic in Bloomington, Ind. While the tournament does
not count toward national rankings, the team is still looking for a
successful run as they try to mold into championship form.
"I think this first tournament will give everyone a chance to try
and prove themselves," said Doug Burchett, sophomore setter and vice
president of club volleyball. "More importantly, we get to see what
everyone's capable of."
It's the progression on their strengths and weaknesses that the
Illini are focusing on this upcoming weekend.
Overall development of the team and individuals is a key component
in working toward becoming a contender.
According to senior defensive specialist Jim Mazurski, the
tournament is considered to be more of a warm-up tournament since
the talent pool hasn't been very deep the past few seasons.
"For this first tournament we are breaking up our team into two
separate teams," Burchett said. "We really feel that both teams
should be playing each other in the finals."
The teams are separated with equal talent between the two squads, a
testament to the depth of this year's team. Last year, the process
seemed to work as both squads made impressive showings at the
tournament, with one of them winning it all.
"I treat the first tournament as a good way to gauge individual
performance," Mazurski said. "While there are five starters
returning, every year is a new slate, meaning you have to win your
position back."
While playing with the mixed teams worked well last season at the
Hoosier Fall Classic, team chemistry this early in the year still
needs improvement, according to Mazurski. He went on to add that
everyone takes some time to adjust to each other playing with the
mixed lineups.
With only five starters returning, that means there are a lot of new
faces that need to be worked in as the season goes on.
"I really feel that the team is starting to make progress, and it's
been pretty competitive with everyone competing for a spot,"
Burchett said. "I don't think we are at a level where we can be, but
we are on our way there."
The weekend tournament will consist of pool play which is followed
by an elimination round.
There will be three brackets of competition: bronze, silver and
gold.
The tournament will feature 17 teams, including Big Ten members
Indiana and Purdue.
Other notables playing this weekend are Vanderbilt University,
Western Illinois University, DePaul University and the University of
Illinois at Chicago |
|
9/28/2006
Posted by:
Cole Cruz |
Men's club volleyball hopes for final vault
Veteran group primed for push towards nationals
The team practices every Tuesday and Thursday and travels to up to
12 tournaments every year. The Illinois Men's Club Volleyball
team is beginning the year looking for another successful season
after having finished third in each of the last five seasons. This
season, championship aspirations are high. Chris Walstra,
junior in Engineering and captain of the Illinois Men's Club
Volleyball team, blocks the ball at practice in Kenney Gym Annex in
Urbana Tuesday night.
"We've taken third the past four years and I'm kind of sick of it,"
said Jim Mazurski, a senior defensive-specialist. "I'd like to win
it this year. That's my goal as a senior."
Chris Walstra, junior setter and President of Club Volleyball,
played in last season's semifinal loss to the Univeristy of
Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
"We were playing against the team that won (Oshkosh), and it was
just back and forth the whole way," said Walstra. "We had match
points, they had match points. It came down to little plays...in the
end."
The loss to Oshkosh in the championships has led to a rededication
to practice and hard work by all team members.
"We just want to be more competitive than we've ever been," declared
Doug Burchett, sophomore setter and Vice President of Club
Volleyball. "We started out 100 percent more competitive this year
and our focus is a lot better. Hopefully that pays off."
The club team is actually split into three different teams labeled
as ones, twos and threes. Ones are considered the highest
competitive group, playing in anywhere from 10 to 12 tournaments a
season. They also practice more, about eight hours a week, as
opposed to twos and threes, who practice about three hours each
week..
The twos have finished second and third respectively at nationals in
the previous two club seasons.
Burchett believes that there is a "core group" of players on each
level.
"I'd like to see both our ones and twos win nationals," said Walstra.
"We've got a lot of tournaments along the way, and we'd obviously
like to do well in those. Ultimately, our goal is to win nationals."
Mazurski believes added confidence will help the team reach their
supreme goal.
"We have to try to become more confident when it comes to playing
really good teams," said Mazurski.
"We'll always be one of the top three or four (teams) in any
tournament we're in, but it seems like we've never been able to
finish off really good teams. I think we just have to try and play
at a higher level," he added candidly.
Illinois will kick-off its championship run at the Hoosier Fall
Classic at Indiana University on Oct. 7. There is also a home
tournament on Nov. 11. |
|
10/13/2004
Posted by:
Naomi Miyake |
'No-commitment' volleyball club a hit
Standing 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighing 220 pounds, this Michael
Phelps look-alike is a big guy with big ambitions. Joe Hammer, a
sophomore in LAS, is the founder of Bounce!, a volleyball club
designed for anyone who loves volleyball. Hammer founded the club
last year.
Hammer has been playing volleyball since his freshman year at Carmel
High School in Mundelein, Ill. He also played for a club team called
Sky High. During his volleyball career, his talent enabled him to
compete in two national competitions.
Originally, Hammer said, he wanted to start a break dancing club
because he thought it would be fun to learn, but soon decided a
volleyball club better suited his talents. The second night of
Hammer's freshman year, he walked around the Quad during a social
event and asked people if they would be interested in signing up for
his free, no-commitment volleyball club. With the overwhelming
response, Hammer took his idea to the next step. He advertised the
club on the student organization Web site, sent out mass e-mails,
and woke up early in the morning to reserve court times at the
Intramural Physical Education Building (IMPE).
Greg Hoffman, Hammer's friend since third grade and a pioneer of
Bounce!, said Hammer's ambition surprised him.
"He was the ringleader of it all and I was kind of along for the
ride. As a scared little freshman, I thought he was crazy, but it
turned out pretty well," Hoffman said.
Bounce! meets twice a week from 8-10 p.m. at IMPE. Teams are divided
up by general skill level, but not a lot of emphasis is placed on
skill so that newer players can get help from players with prior
experience.
James Hardy, sophomore in engineering, said he believes Bounce! made
him a better volleyball player.
"I started out not knowing how to do anything and now I can keep up,
which is all that I ever wanted to do. Now I can take that and play
at the rec center back home," Hardy said.
Bounce! has about 55 members and gains new members each week. The
club involves no obligations with a "come-when-you-want" type of
commitment, which separates it from many of the other organizations
on campus.
"Its not like you have to go; it doesn't require preparation or
anything," said Ashley Poynter, sophomore in LAS. "It's just nice
and relaxing."
Hoffman also said he enjoys the carefree aspects of the club.
"You go whenever you want to go. If you have no homework, and you
want to sweat a little bit, you can go play," Hoffman said.
Bounce! not only enables students to play a relaxed game of pick-up
volleyball but also fosters friendships among members.
"I met one of my best friends through Bounce!," Hardy said. "And I
know dozens of people just through Bounce!, so it's a really good
way to meet people," Hardy said.
Unfortunately, because Hammer recently joined Illinois Men's
Volleyball, he will have to pass the torch of his presidency.
Members said they would miss Hammer because of his consistently
optimistic and encouraging attitude.
Hammer said he hopes Bounce! continues its legacy at the University.
"Bounce! is almost like my child; and if I could, twenty years from
now, look back and see that it's still here, that would be a great
feeling," Hammer said.
|
|
9/15/2004
Posted by:
Troy Murray |
Club volleyball looks to repeat last
year's record
Despite being largely overlooked on campus, the men's volleyball
team is one of Ilinois' best-performing club sports.
The first team placed third at Nationals last year, finishing with
an overall record of 45-24. They also finished second at the Big Ten
Championships, losing to Michigan in the final game of the
tournament.
The club is divided into three teams: blue, orange and white. The
blue team is made up of the most advanced players; orange has the
next highest level of skill.
Although the first team graduated five players last year, the second
team finished second nationally in its division and should be able
to step up and fill the spots left open by those graduates.
"We always expect to do better the next year," said sophomore middle
hitter Ryan Fabrizius. "We graduated a few players, but we have a
ton of returning guys and we're really hopeful we'll improve this
year."
Men's volleyball has had a lot of success in recent years. The team
has been ranked in the top five of the National
Intramural-Recreational Sports Association five times and has won
the Big Ten Championship four times in the last six years.
Because it is a club sport, the team operates differently than
varsity programs on campus. The team elects a president, vice
president, treasurer and secretary. Those officers make the
important decisions for the players and act as coaches.
"We're open to suggestions by the players," said Alan Urban, senior
setter and team secretary. "We know they've all played a lot and
they could see things we don't. It's definitely a group effort in
practice."
The players practice Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, and have extra
practices whenever needed. They hold their practices at IMPE, Huff
Hall and Kenney Gym.
"The intensity of the practices depends on the time of the season,"
Urban said. "During the fall it's a little more laid back; during
the spring it picks up. We definitely want to win a national
championship every spring."
The team plays in five or six tournaments each semester.
Transportation varies from tournament to tournament; for Nationals,
they took a coach bus to Charlotte, N.C., but for other tournaments
they usually car pool.
Since the players fund the program, the team holds fund-raisers
throughout the year. Indiana and Illinois co-sponsor the
Hoosier-Illini Classic every year. The tournament is held in
Bloomington, Ind., and is open to any club team in the country.
"It's probably one of the biggest tournaments of the year, behind
the national championship," Urban said.
Tryouts for club volleyball begin this Sunday at 5 p.m. at Kenny
Gym. For more information, contact president Rob Tupuritis. |
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