Despite closing out the season with a loss, the Illinois volleyball team secured a spot in the 26th NCAA Tournament.
On Friday, December 6, at 3:00 p.m. CST, the Illini will face Missouri Valley Conference champions, the University of Northern Iowa. I wanted to watch the selection show to see how commentators rate Illinois' chances against the conference champ.
Well, according to NCAA Volleyball Committee Chair, Danielle Josetti's bracket, Illinois will be moving to the next round. That's definitely high praise, but the match still has to be played, of course. With that said, let's see how the two teams stack up.
Who are the Missouri Valley Conference champions, the University of Northern Iowa Panthers?
The Panthers once again dominated the Missouri Valley Conference with a 25-7 record and head into the postseason with three straight regular season and conference tournament titles.
The team is led by senior Kira Fallert who recorded 407 kills and 34 assists this season. During UNI's 3-0 victory against Missouri State on September 28, Fallert became the 20th player in UNI history to post 1,000 career digs. Fallert also has 1,000 career kills.
UNI is also led by Sydney Golden who recorded 722 assists and 25 aces this season. However, the Panthers struggled against power-four opponents and went 0-5 against teams in the NCAA top 25. This could be an issue facing an Illinois team from a stacked Big Ten.
Experience against dominance
Illinois made their way through a Big Ten that included five teams ranked in the RPI top 25. Their schedule also included two non-conference top-25 teams, the University of Dayton and the University of Missouri.
The Illini are battle-tested, led by one of the best outside hitters in the country and All-Big Ten player, Raina Terry. The Panthers will also have to contend with freshman phenom, Ashlyn Philpot. Philpot is one of the top 10 defensive players in the Big Ten.
That said, the Illini did not close out the season well, losing three straight with two of those losses coming against below .500 teams. I am sure head coach Chris Tamas, his staff, and the team will work hard to leave the past where it is and focus on the opportunity ahead.
Women's college volleyball is only getting better. The game is experiencing larger crowds and recruiting top national and international talent across all conferences. This should be an exciting tournament and one where the stars of Illinois can really shine. The next chapter of an exciting season begins Friday at 3:00 p.m. CST.