Big Ten Network : Illinois Top Stories

Illini pressure Weber, take down Gophers

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 09:01:00 +0000

MINNEAPOLIS -- Terry Hawthorne returned an interception for a touchdown and Clay Nurse had four of Illinois' eight sacks to lead the Illini to a 35-32 victory over Minnesota on Saturday. Jacob Charest threw for 185 yards and a touchdown after replacing Juice Williams, who left in the first quarter with an injured left ankle. Illinois (3-6, 2-5 Big Ten) led 28-7 at halftime. Jon Hoese scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns for Minnesota (5-5, 3-4). Gophers linebacker Keanon Cooper blocked a punt that Ben Kuznia scooped up for a score to pull Minnesota within three points with 3 minutes to play. The ensuing onside kick went out of bounds, and the Gophers couldn't overcome a dreadful first half from quarterback Adam Weber. After throwing for 416 yards and five TDs in a breakout game against Michigan State last week, Weber completed 5 of 17 passes for 74 yards with a fumble and the interception returned for a score in the first half against Illinois. He finished 14 of 31 for 221 yards. The blunders, and a furious pass rush, helped Illinois compensate for the loss of Williams. It's been a long and difficult senior season for Williams, who has never been able to recapture the magic that helped him lead the Illini to the Rose Bowl during his sophomore year. He finally had a breakout game last week with 220 total yards in a 31-13 win over Michigan and looked sharp early against Minnesota. He completed all five of his passes, including a 22-yard TD pass to Jeff Cumberland on the opening drive to get the Illini rolling. But he injured his left ankle and fumbled during a run later in the first quarter and watched the rest of the game on crutches from the sideline. Weber probably wishes he could have joined him. The Gophers quarterback also broke out of a season-long slump last week in a win over Michigan State. He followed that with a brutal first half against Illinois, missing several wide-open receivers and taking too many sacks after not getting rid of the ball quickly enough, drawing boos from the home crowd. Weber fumbled on a bad exchange with DeLeon Eskridge in Illinois territory and telegraphed a throw to Hoese near the sidelines in the first quarter. Hawthorne, who chased down Michigan receiver Roy Roundtree and prevented a touchdown last week, read Weber's eyes and stepped in front of the pass. He returned the interception 44 yards for a score and a 14-0 lead going into the second quarter. Minnesota cut the lead to 28-25 on Hoese's second score of the game. But Charest threw a 4-yard TD pass to Arrelious Benn on the next possession.

No. 5 Illinois drops MSU for 11 straight win

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 21:46:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Fifth-ranked Illinois entered Saturday night's tilt winners of 10 straight Big Ten matches, the school's longest conference streak in 17 years. The last team to defeat the Illini, Michigan State, came calling to Huff Hall. The Illini avenged that loss and in the process extended their winning streak to 11 with a convincing 25-19, 25-12, 25-19 victory over the Spartans in front of a crowd of 1,758. Michigan State was competitive for the first half of the first set, but the Illini block came alive and eventually Michigan State hitters began a string of errors. Up 18-17 in the first set, the Illini went on a 7-2 run to close the set then bolted to a 10-1 in the second set. Illinois took set two easily then broke open a 14-14 score in the third set with an 11-5 run to take the match. Junior Laura DeBruler led the way offensively, hitting a robust .538 with 15 kills. Junior Johannah Bangert had another strong night on the block with eight block assists, four kills and a .400 hitting percentage. Illinois hit .291 for the match, including .478 in a dominant second set. Illinois out-blocked the Spartans 10-2, giving the Illini a 27-8 advantage in that department for the weekend. Even when Illinois wasn't blocking the Michigan State attack, the Spartans misfired, hitting -.038 for the match, including -.231 in the second set. "I think our block set the tone, then we started digging a lot of balls and finally we frustrated them and they started hitting them out of bounds," summed up head coach Kevin Hambly. Besides the winning streak in general, the story of the weekend was the first starts for sophomore Rachel Feldman at libero. Feldman past the test with a team-leading nine digs. For the weekend, she had 28 digs, and was served at 54 times with just one reception error. "I've had experience digging balls on the other side of the net from Kylie McCulley and Laura DeBruler, so that part wasn't different," Feldman said in comparing practice to the game experience. "The difference was playing with a new group of players." If the Illini are to make it 12 straight, they must end Penn State's 91-match streak next Friday in State College, Pa. Illinois returns to Huff for its final regular season home matches against Iowa and Wisconsin on Nov. 20-21.

Illinois dominates in-state foe Southern Illinois

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 17:07:00 +0000

CARBONDALE, Ill. – The Fighting Illini swimming and diving team won its second meet in as many days, defeating host Southern Illinois, 154-89 at Dr. Edward J. Shea Natorium. The Orange and Blue swiped seven of 13 events to improve to 5-1 on the year, while the Salukis fall to 3-1. The Illini swept both relays as the team of CeCe Marizu, Amy Johnson, Brittany McGowan, and Kristen Manias took first place in the 400 medley relay (4:55.64), while Meghan Mason, Erin Lamb, Anna Johnson and Manias won the 400 free relay (3:32.53). "The depth of our team gave us a big advantage over Southern Illinois," head coach Sue Novitsky said. "Even if they (Southern Illinois) won an event, we were right behind them in second and third place. It was good to see a lot of people stepping up throughout the lineup." Manias picked up her third victory of the day in the 50 free (24.25), while Marizu won her second event in the 200 back (2:05.94) and Jen Ivarson placed first in the 200 fly (2:05.94). On the boards, Lauren Wismer took first place in the one-meter with a score of 274.87 and also won the three-meter with a score of 286.42. Britni Fisher grabbed second-place finishes in both the one-meter (259.34) and three-meter (253.25) dives, while Tessa Adams placed third in the one-meter (227.99). ""The divers did extremely well today, going one-two on the three-meter and one-two-three on the one-meter,"" Novitsky said. ""It was good to have strong finishes on the boards."" The Orange and Blue will take a few weeks off before heading to Oxford, Ohio, to compete in the Miami Invitational beginning Friday, Dec. 4.

Juice Williams leaves game against Minnesota

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 12:49:00 +0000

MINNEAPOLIS(AP) Illinois quarterback Juice Williams left the game against Minnesota with an apparent left leg injury. Williams was injured in the first quarter on Saturday when he fumbled on a running play. He limped off the field and appeared to be favoring his left leg, but there was no immediate word on the nature of his injury. Freshman Jacob Charest replaced Williams at quarterback on the Illini's next possession. Williams threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Jeff Cumberland on the team's opening possession before getting hurt. It's been a tough season for the senior, who finally had a good game last week in a victory over Michigan.

Dagley's first career goal lifts NU over Illinois, 1-0

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 21:28:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Caroline Dagley (San Rafael, Calif./The Branson School) scored the first goal of her career as Northwestern women's soccer closed its season with a 1-0 victory over Illinois Friday at Lakeside Field. Dagley's goal, in the 47th minute of the match, came on the Wildcats' first shot of the game. Jessica Palo (Ames, Iowa/Ames) played a ball into the box from the left side that was passed on by Jill Dunn (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) to Dagley, who made a long run down the right side of the field and struck for the score. Carolyn Edwards (Lincolnshire, Ill./Stevenson) made a career-high 11 saves in the match to make the lead hold up for Northwestern (7-10-2), which beat its in-state rival for the second consecutive time. Edwards made six saves in the first half, as Illinois opened the match with a strong wind at its back. The 'Cats offense did not take a shot in the first half. Northwestern nearly extended its lead with seven minutes remaining when Jennifer Baumann (Waukesha, Wis./Catholic Memorial) drilled a shot on target, but Illinois' Alexandrea Kapicka managed to punch it over the net for a save.

Illini's Williams gets high marks from teammates

Mark Tupper — Fri, 6 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

When we sat down with Juice Williams back in late July, it was with bright eyes and an optimistic smile that he spoke of the Illini football season to come. It was weeks before the start of his senior year. He was coming off a junior season in which he broke the school record for single-season total offense, threw 22 touchdown passes (third most in school history) and had six 250-yard passing games. He'd been named second-team all-Big Ten and pro scouts sized him up as an interesting prospect who could rise up the charts with a productive senior year. His fiancé, Chez Chambers, and young daughter, LaChez, were doing well. It was a good time to be Juice Williams. But athletics is an uncertain road, and the one the Illini football team has followed this fall has been filled with potholes. The team is 1-6 going into Saturday's home game against Michigan. Juice Williams has had an awful season, one in which we've only had one or two glimpses of the confident quarterback we expected to see. Rather than the unquestioned starter, he's now one of two quarterbacks who will run the offense the rest of the way. And there's no guarantee the starter Saturday won't be a redshirt freshman who saw his first collegiate action last week. When this season was first unraveling, Williams continued to be a standup guy who faced the media after defeat and thoughtfully addressed questions about the latest disappointment. That can't be easy and it can't be fun. And lately, it apparently has become intolerable. After the last two losses - at Indiana and at Purdue - Williams did not answer the bell in postgame interview sessions. And the weekly media teleconference the last two Mondays, of which Williams had been a regular participant, was canceled altogether. So I cannot accurately tell you whether those bright eyes have dimmed or that optimistic smile has faded. But I can tell you that his teammates and his coach say he has handled the disappointment like a champion. "I mean this," coach Ron Zook said Tuesday. "If I had a son, I would want my son to be on this team if for no other reason than to see how (Williams) is handling it. It's unbelievable to see how he is handling it. "I had a long talk with Juice yesterday. He wants to win. He's pulling his hair out. It's a confidence issue and you know if you've ever had your confidence shaken in anything. He has to overcome that stuff and as coaches, we have to help him do that. "He has done it before and he can do it again." When Williams is in the game, he lines up behind senior center Eric Block, and on Tuesday Block said you'd never know Williams has been through such a tough season. "Juice is a team player, first and foremost," Block said. "He'll do whatever he can to help the team. He's just that kind of guy, a class act. And he has been since the day he got here. There won't be any griping from Juice." On Saturday, Zook said Williams and Jacob Charest will split time at quarterback. I think everyone would like to see Charest perform well, if only because it would represent a ray of hope for the future. But I'm guessing that nothing would please Zook more than to see Williams have a performance that flashes back to what happened last season when he helped Illinois beat the Wolverines. That's when he passed for 310 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another 121 yards and two more TDs. His 431 yards represented the largest total offense figure ever produced in the history of Michigan Stadium. Seems like an awful long time ago, back when Isiah "Juice" Williams still had a smile we could remember. Mark Tupper covers Illini football for Lee News Services. Contact him at mark.tupper@lee.net Copyright 2009 The Pantagraph

Illini defeat Michigan

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 23:41:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill.— Illinois-Michigan has always meant a battle in volleyball. Throw in an Illini victory earlier this year in Ann Arbor, a No. 5 ranking for Illinois, a No. 15 ranking for Michigan and a brand new libero and the match had a lot of storylines. In the end, Illinois picked up offensive steam as the match went on for its 10th straight win – 25-27, 25-22, 25-21, 25-17 – to improve to 19-3 and maintain a two-game lead for second place in the Big Ten at 11-2 in the conference. ""That is what we get every time we play Michigan – a battle,"" said Illinois head coach Kevin Hambly. ""With what we went through the last week, to figure out what we're going to do in basically two days, I thought this was a real gut check match for us."" Sophomore Rachel Feldman made her first collegiate start at libero after four-year starter Ashley Edinger suffered an ACL tear just six days earlier. The Normal Community graduate came into the match with eight career digs. Friday against Michigan, she tallied 19 digs, was served at 41 times and not aced once. ""They attacked her every way they possibly could – hitting at her and serving at her and I thought she did a great job,"" Hambly said. ""She jumped into that role with both feet and was aggressive. That's going to be key for us the rest of the way."" Junior Laura DeBruler had just two kills in the first set, but finished the night with her 33rd 20-kill match of her career (21 kills total), including nine in the third set, while hitting .283. With her first kill in the second set, the All-American became just the sixth Illinois player with 1,500 kills. Michigan led 23-18 in the first set, but Illinois responded with six straight points, the final an ace from Hillary Haen (44 assists, 14 digs) to go in front 24-23, and although Michigan came back to take the set, the Illini rally set the tone for the next three sets. Michigan's lefty hitter Alex Hunt had 13 kills in the first two sets en route to a team-high 19 kills. The Illini, however, had six blocks in each of the first two sets, 10 involving junior Johannah Bangert, as the Illini front and back row defense began to slow down the Michigan attack. The Illini out-blocked the Wolverines 17-6 overall on the night paced by 12 from Bangert, the fifth career match with 12 or more. Michigan hit just .130, including .042 in set two and .056 in set four. The Illini, meanwhile improved to .271 in set three and .256 in set four good for .203 for the night. ""Our best offense was keeping the ball in play and blocking,"" Hambly said. ""It was the reason we got back into it in the first set and the reason we won the second set."" Illinois jumped in front 16-10 in the second set, withstood a rally that brought the Wolverines to within 18-16 and pulled out a 25-22 victory. Illinois had just eight kills in that second set, half of which came from DeBruler, but Feldman and Bartsch combined for 11 digs and the Illini tallied six blocks in the set, forcing Michigan to 12 hitting errors. ""Rachel needed to be on the court when we won a set,"" Hambly said. ""We pulled that out and she was way more comfortable. Everything was different after that."" ""A lot of people on our team can do more than what they're known for,"" Feldman said. ""Out hitters can set and pass. So I had a lot of confidence that whatever happened, there was going to be a great play out of it."" Case in point was Bartsch, who matched Feldman with 19 digs to go along with her nine kills and nine blocks. In all, five players reached double digits in digs as Illinois kept rallies going. In set four, freshman Jackie Wolfe entered to serve with Illinois leading just 16-14. The Illini scored three straight points off the Wolfe serve, two on block assists from Bartsch and Erin Johnson. From there, DeBruler was the terminator – hitting roll shot over the block, exploding with power down the line, or finding a seam in the back row. The Illini were also able to get the ball to the middle. Bangert had seven kills while hitting .429 and Johnson tallied five kills and five blocks while hitting .364 The third and fourth sets were back-and-forth affairs. In set three, the Illini broke open an 18-18 score by out-scoring the Wolverines 7-3 down the stretch with Bartsch and DeBruler combining for five kills. The Illini trailed 13-11 in the fourth set, but scored four straight to go in front 15-13 and never trailed from there.

Illinois libero Edinger tears left ACL

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 13:58:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill.— An MRI on Ashley Edinger's left knee has revealed an ACL tear. The Illinois senior libero injured the knee during the third set Saturday night at Purdue. The Michigan City, Ind., native will be out for the remainder of the 2009 season for the fifth-ranked team in the country. A four-year starter, Edinger reset the Illinois defensive record book. In just 2 ½ years, she became Illinois' all-time digs leader and will finish her career with 1,921 digs, which also ranks ninth on the all-time career Big Ten list. Edinger has three of the top four digs seasons, including a school-record 564 in 2007, and six of the top nine digs matches in school history. Edinger has been named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week five times in her career, including on Oct. 19 of this year, and received three All-Tournament team accolades. "Losing Ashley for the season is a tremendous blow at this stage, but at really anytime," head coach Kevin Hambly said. "She is certainly one of the top liberos in the Big Ten and the country. Ashley has been the libero from the minute she stepped on campus and has not only rewritten the record books here at Illinois but she has set a standard for excellence that will be tough to match. However, we are fortunate to have the type of team that we feel is resilient to this loss, and we have no choice but to move forward. I know Ashley will be supportive." Rachel Feldman will take over as the Illini libero this weekend as they host No. 15 Michigan and Michigan State at Huff Hall.

'H' is for Hawthorne, hope; Illini, Zook hope tackle is start of strong finish

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Where does Terry Hawthorne's touchdown-saving tackle rank? At first, it seems like a beside-the-point question for a team that stands 2-6. If it's the start of something, though, the freshman cornerback might earn a place in Illini lore. "We'll have to wait to see what the meaning of the play is," coach Ron Zook said. "There's no question that play turned the game around. As the season goes along, it may be a major, major play in the turning of our season." Give a big assist to the replay official who reversed the ruling on the field that receiver Ray Roundtree had scored a touchdown that would have put Michigan on top 20-7 three plays into the third quarter. And give the rest of the Illini defense hearty pats on the back for making a four-play goal-line stand on the 1-yard line and one to Juice Williams for engineering a 99-yard touchdown drive that started Illinois on a 31-0 second half and a 38-13 victory. But credit Hawthorne with giving Illinois a glimmer of hope. The Illini, who were 27th in the preseason top-25 media voting, believe they are far more talented than their record. So do Big Ten coaches. And now, given this opportunity, the Illini are intent on demonstrating that by salvaging some things. "You have to have hope," co-defensive coordinator Dan Disch said. "And hopefully, this gives us what we've needed the whole time, which is confidence. A lot of this [losing] has been a confidence issue." A bowl trip, while mathematically possible, is not the point. Winning some games down the stretch is realistic, though. And that would provide some momentum for the embattled Zook, and give a lift on the all-important recruiting front. It won't be easy. Each of the two remaining home opponents, Northwestern and Fresno State, has five wins and might come to Champaign with its bowl hopes on the line. There's also a trip to No. 4 Cincinnati, and wouldn't you like to be a fly on the wall when Zook asks athletic director Ron Guenther to tell him again why that game is on the schedule. But first, there's this week's trip to Minnesota, which also has five wins and is playing for its bowl resume. The Gophers are coached by 1983 Illini Rose Bowl captain Tim Brewster, who was interested in the Illinois job when Zook was hired, but lacked head coaching experience. A year ago, Minnesota was a 12?-point underdog in Champaign, but stole Illinois' homecoming game 27-20 with a pair of gift touchdowns off turnovers despite being outgained 550-312 while Williams was setting a Memorial Stadium total-offense record. This year, the Illini are a one-touchdown underdog against the Gophers. Thanks to Hawthorne's heroics, though, the Illini will head north eager to take another challenge. Copyright 2009 Chicago Sun-Times, Inc.All Rights Reserved

Illini promote Perry to associate head coach

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 17:46:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Illinois head coach Jim Heffernan announced the promotion of Carl Perry to the position of associate head coach on Tuesday. Perry is in his eighth year on the Fighting Illini coaching staff and has helped produce 19 All-Americans and six NCAA finalists during his seven years at Illinois. He brings expertise along with experience, as he was the 2000 NCAA champion at 141 pounds and a two-time All-American. "Carl is a very important member of our staff and is very deserving of this promotion," Heffernan said. "He is integral to all of our efforts from coaching to recruiting to the many administrative duties he performs. I am extremely happy to have him on our staff as we continue to work toward winning Big Ten and NCAA championships." Perry has been instrumental in the success of Illinois' lightweights and middleweights over the past seven seasons, particularly in the development of three-time All-American Mike Poeta and two-time All-American Jimmy Kennedy. He also coordinates team travel and often drills with Illini wrestlers during practice. "It is an honor to be named associate head coach," Perry said. "I'm excited to stay at Illinois, which I have great passion for as an alumnus, and I'm thankful for the support from athletic director Ron Guenther, our administration and Jim Heffernan. I look forward to continuing to help build Illinois wrestling into the perennial national title contender we all believe it can be." Perry was a four-time NCAA qualifier during his wrestling career and compiled a 13-6 career record at the NCAA Championships. He was a two-time team captain and finished his time as an Illini student-athlete in the top 20 of career wins (98) and winning percentage (.748). He also helped the 2000 Illini squad to the best dual winning percentage in school history (.933), as the team was 14-1 in duals that season.

Illinois busts out in victory over struggling Michigan

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:46:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Michigan receiver Roy Roundtree cradled the ball and sprinted for the end zone. Terry Hawthorne took off after him, finally catching up 76 yards down the field and spilling him across the goal line. Points went up on the board and it looked as if another long afternoon for the Illini was taking shape. And it was, until a video review ruled Roundtree down at the 1, the Illini stopped Michigan on four straight runs, and Juice Williams answered with a 99-yard touchdown drive to take the lead on the way to a 38-13 win over the Wolverines. "A lot of guys would have quit," said Illinois coach Ron Zook, recipient of a dreaded vote of confidence earlier in a season almost completely without any redeeming features. "Terry didn't quit. He kept going. He made the play of the game, maybe the play of the year." And how. Before the goal-line turnaround, Michigan had given up just 94 yards of offense. Twice it appeared ready to take a 20-7 lead on the way to what would have been its first road win this season. Instead, the Illini (2-6, 1-5 Big Ten) finished with 500 yards of offense and Michigan looked almost as lost as it did at times during last season's 3-9 fiasco. "It's a big momentum change, particularly on the road," Rodriguez said. "When you have the chance to seize momentum and you let it reverse on the road, it's tough." More than half of Illinois' second-half surge came on three touchdown drives that surrounded a pair of ugly three-and-outs led by freshman quarterback Tate Forcier. Most of that 99-yard drive came on Mikel LeShoure's 70-yard burst up the middle, but Williams, who ended three first-half drives with sacks on third down, led two more drives to put the game out of reach. He capped a 79-yarder with his 2-yard toss to London Davis. And after Michigan went backward on its next possession the Illini went 45 yards for another touchdown, this one a 3-yard run by Williams for a 28-13 lead. Michigan (5-4, 1-4) turned the ball over three times, twice when Forcier coughed it up in the second half. A year after ending a three-decade bowl streak and finishing 3-9 in coach Rich Rodriguez's first season, the Wolverines remain one win from eligibility, but have four straight Big Ten losses and a win over Delaware State in its last five. "We haven't given ourselves much of a chance because of some of our own errors," Rodriguez said. "Again, you have to give them credit, too, because they made plays, but we've got to play a little bit more efficient to give ourselves a chance." Illinois hadn't beaten a Bowl Subdivision opponent this season. But Michigan turned the ball over three times and seemed to breathe life into a team that barely appeared competitive during a five-game losing streak to start the Big Ten season. "A lot of teams in this situation usually give up, quit," Williams said after Illinois ended a five-game losing streak. "But we made a pact amongst ourselves that we aren't going to stop until the end of the season." Williams, who went wild on the Wolverines last season with 431 yards of total offense -- ran for 97 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown and completed 8 of 11 passes for 123 yards and another score. Michigan, which started 4-0 with a win over Notre Dame, hosts Purdue next Saturday, then travels to Wisconsin before wrapping up the regular season at home against Ohio State. "We're not getting wins that we should, we're just playing for pride now," safety Troy Woolfolk said. "We know we're not able to win the Big Ten, but we still have a chance to go to a bowl." Forcier finally got the Wolverines moving on the next drive, which looked promising until he was sacked and fumbled at the Illinois 16. He finished 13 of 23 for 257 yards and Carlos Brown had 110 yards rushing on 25 carries and a touchdown. Roundtree had four catches for 92 yards, including the 76-yarder he was stopped on. Illinois added a field goal and another stop. When Michigan blocked a punt with 3:49 to play, the Wolverines were in a three-score hole with only the faintest hopes left. Forcier immiediately ended those by fumbling the ball back at the Illini 15, Six plays later, Jason Ford went 79 yards to put a cherry on top for Illinois. Before the goal-line turnaround, Michigan had pretty much shut down Williams, who accounted for more than 400 yards of offense in their meeting last season, a 45-20 rout by Illinois. Though the Illini can still get to six wins, it won't be easy. They go to Minnesota and host Northwestern before a trip to Cincinnati (No. 8 BCS, No. 5 AP) and a home date with Fresno State. "This game doesn't mean everything is OK," Zook said. "We've still got four games to go."

Illini rout Missouri Southern St. in exhibition opener

Mon, 2 Nov 2009 17:56:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Fighting Illini saw their first action against outside competition Friday night at Assembly Hall, routing Missouri Southern State, 95-67, in the first of two exhibition tune-ups before the regular season. Junior Demetri McCamey had 16 points to lead five Illini in double-figures and all four freshmen made significant contributions in the victory. Illinois jumped out of the gates fast, as senior Dominique Keller scored the first six points of the game to help the hosts jump out to a 19-1 lead. Sloppy play, including a host of UI turnovers midway through the first half, helped the Lions close to within eight at one point, 32-24, at the four-minute mark, but Illinois finished the half on a 17-4 run to take a healthy 49-28 lead at the break. McCamey led the way with 12 first-half points and the Illini held 24-13 rebounding edge, but also turned the ball over 15 times in the first 20 minutes. The Orange and Blue took much better care of the ball in the second half, committing just four turnovers. For the game, the Illini shot 52.4 percent (33-of-63) from the field, 70.3 percent from the line (26-of-37), forced 24 MSSU turnovers and outrebounded the guests 47-35. The Illini held a dominating 46-22 edge in the paint and outscored the guests 33-14 off turnovers. All four Illini freshmen saw plenty of action in their first exhibition. D.J. Richardson hit 5-of-8 from the field for 14 points and had three steals in 19 minutes, while Brandon Paul added 13 points, five rebounds and three assists in 17 minutes of play. Tyler Griffey (six points in 18 minutes) and Joseph Bertrand (six points in 19 minutes) also got loads of game-experience in front of the Assembly Hall crowd of over 14,000. Other Illini scoring in double-figures were Keller, who finished with 12 points, and junior Mike Davis, who chipped in 10 points. Junior Mike Tisdale led the way on the boards with nine, while McCamey dished out a game-high seven assists to go with his 16 points. Skyler Bowlin led MSSU with 17 points. The Fighting Illini have one more exhibition game next Sunday, Nov. 8, at 4 p.m. against Quincy University, before opening up the regular season on Friday, Nov. 13, when they host SIU-Edwardsville at 7 p.m. CT.

Michigan beats Illinois for first Big Ten win

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 16:52:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- A header from senior Alex Jendrusch (Troy, Mich./Athens) in the 74th minute delivered the University of Michigan women's soccer team its first Big Ten win of the season as it defeated Illinois, 1-0, on Sunday at the Illinois Soccer Stadium. Michigan was outshot by a 21-4 margin, giving sophomore/freshman Haley Kopmeyer (Troy, Mich./Lahser) plenty of work. She used a career-high 11 saves to record her sixth shutout of the season, establishing a new rookie record and delivering the win. The Wolverines got one shot on goal, but it was all they needed as Jendrusch broke the scoreless stalemate in the 74th minute, heading home a crossing pass from junior Amanda Bowery (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester) 12 yards out. Following the goal, the frantic pace in the U-M defensive zone calmed as Kopmeyer had to make just two saves in the game's final 16 minutes. Michigan will put a wrap on the 2009 campaign on Sunday (Nov. 8) against Penn State at noon at the U-M Soccer Complex. Prior to kickoff, the Wolverines will honor their three-member senior class.

Illinois stays hot, sweeps Boilermakers

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:03:00 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The No. 6 Illini volleyball team continued its hot streak against Purdue on Halloween night, rattling off its ninth consecutive win behind a balanced attack that hit .347 for the match. Illinois improved to 18-3 overall and 10-2 in the Big Ten thanks to a straight-sets victory (25-21, 25-19, 25-14) over Purdue, who fell to 11-12 overall and 3-9 in the Big Ten. The Orange and Blue's middle blockers, Erin Johnson and Johannah Bangert, combined for 15 kills and hit .533 and .308, respectively, to bolster the impressive Illini attack. "We have been working very hard to get our middles going, and it has been paying off," head coach Kevin Hambly said. "Erin Johnson had a great weekend and Johannah Bangert did a nice job attacking. Our outsides always bring their game, so it is nice to get some more productivity out of the middles. We are continuing to get better as a team, and it's nice to see things progress in that direction." Illinois' outside hitters also continued their stellar play, combining for 29 kills, as Laura DeBruler and Michelle Bartsch posted a match-high 10 kills apiece and Kylie McCulley added nine. All three players also hit over .300, which is the first time that has happened all year. The Illini trailed for the majority of the opening frame until the block brigade turned it on to spark a 9-3 run. Two key blocks turned the tide for the Illini, as the Orange and Blue tied the match at 18 thanks to a block assist from McCulley and Bangert and then grabbed their first lead at 19-18 on a block assist from Bartsch and Bangert. McCulley had five kills in the set to pace the Illini, who hit .385 compared to .222 from Purdue. The second set was a back-and-forth affair until the score was tied at nine and the Illini used a 7-2 run to pull away. Illinois never looked back from there, easily taking the second set behind six kills from Johnson and four from Bartsch. Illinois out-hit the Boilermakers .382 to .156 in the second stanza. The Illini dominated the third frame thanks to great play from DeBruler and Bartsch, but saw their senior libero Ashley Edinger go down with an injury with Illinois leading 21-12. Edinger, who had 12 digs to pace the Illini defense, was helped off the floor and replaced by Rachel Feldman. Illinois took four of the next six points to close out the match. "It's too early to speculate (about Ashley), so we will just wait and see what happens," Hambly said. The win was Illinois' ninth straight in the Big Ten, the longest streak for the Illini in conference since winning 18 straight in 1992. The Orange and Blue remained alone in second place and improved to 6-1 on the road in the conference after the victory in front of 1,821 fans at the Intercollegiate Athletic Facility. Illinois returns to Huff Hall for a pair of matches next weekend, as the Illini face No. 13 Michigan on Friday, Nov. 6 and Michigan State on Saturday, Nov. 7. Both matches are set to begin at 7 p.m. CT.

Spartans fall to Illinois

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:04:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Michigan State women's soccer team fell to Illinois, 5-0, on Friday (Oct. 30) in Champaign, Ill. With the loss, MSU fell to 9-4-4 overall and 2-4-2 in the Big Ten, while the Illini improved to 7-7-3 and 2-4-2 in conference play. Illinois' Jenna Carosio set the tone of the game early, scoring the first goal in the 10th minute. Laura Knutson added another in the 21st minute and Niki Read scored just over three minutes later to make it 3-0. Christina Sahly made it 4-0 just before the half. The Fighting Illini outshot MSU, 17-12, for the game. Lauren Hill led the Spartans with three shots.

Illini survive scare from Hoosiers

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:00:00 +0000

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.— After cruising to wins in the first two sets, the No. 6 Illini staved off an impressive comeback by host Indiana to post a 25-18, 25-17, 13-25, 26-28, 15-11 victory in Bloomington. The win was Illinois' eighth straight in the Big Ten, the longest streak for the Illini in conference since winning 18 straight in 1992. The Illini improve to 17-3 overall, 9-2 in the conference and coupled with a Minnesota loss at Penn State, gives the Illini sole possession of second-place in the Big Ten. Illinois also improves to 5-1 on the road in the conference. ""I thought we were playing as well as we have all season in those first two sets,"" said Illinois head coach Kevin Hambly. ""We were smooth. We were siding out at a high level. After that, Indiana brought a different level of energy and fight at us and we didn't respond real well. We got real tentative with our passing and defense. Winning a match after doing that, though, is a big deal."" Laura DeBruler had a team-leading 20 kills, including nine in the second set and four in the fifth and deciding set, to go along with 10 digs, to pace Illinois. Kylie McCulley added 16 kills and 10 digs while hitting .364 and freshman Erin Johnson was one off a career-high with nine kills, including several critical ones down the stretch while hitting a team-best .538. Fellow middle Johannah Bangert had five kills and three blocks while hitting .400. Senior libero Ashley Edinger led the way defensively with 16 digs. ""Our middles had some big swings all throughout the night,"" Hambly added. ""It is huge for us to have Erin Johnson have the ability to score in big moments. Hillary has no fear in going to her and we believe she can score."" Indiana (14-11, 3-8 Big Ten) played competitively early in the first and second sets, but once Illinois took control, it was lights out thanks to impressive side-out percentages. Illinois sided-out at 73 percent in the first set, 83 percent in the second set and 81 percent in set five. In the middle two sets, however, passing broke down and the Illini only were able to side out at 43 and 59 percent, respectively, as the Hoosiers won both of those sets. Illinois also hit a combined .500 in winning the first two sets -- .462 in set one and .533 in set two as well as .571 in taking set five. The Illini, however, hit .042 and .195 in dropping sets three and four. Indiana led set one 9-8, but behind the serving of Hillary Haen (50 assists, 15 digs), Illinois scored seven straight points and nine of 10 to take a commanding 17-10 lead. Sophomore right side hitter Michelle Bartsch (12 kills) was particularly strong in the opening set converting on her first four attacks and hitting .714 with five kills. Set two was much of the same. Illinois trailed 10-8 before going on a 7-1 run and scoring 17 of the final 24 points of the set. DeBruler had seven kills while Bartsch hit .444 with four kills. The third set was all Indiana. The Hoosiers hit .464 with 15 kills while serving three aces and siding out at an astounding 84 percent. The Illini, meanwhile, were out of system most of the set and managed just six kills as a team. Indiana kept the momentum going to start the fourth. Behind a balanced attack from All-Big Ten candidate Ashley Benson (13 kills) and big swings from outside hitter Jordan Haverly (19 kills), the Hoosiers jumped to a 13-9 lead. This time Illinois responded, tying the score at 14-14 as Haen was able to get the ball to Bartsch on the right side for terminations. The set was back-and-forth from there. Johnson gave Illinois its first lead since early in the match with a conversion from the middle to make it 20-19 Illini. Teams traded side outs with Johnson and McCulley (twice) giving Illinois one-point leads. After Indiana took the lead at 25-24, Johnson converted on a back slide, but after a pair of Illinois service errors, Haverly put away the set deciding point sending it into a fifth set. Illinois never trailed in the fifth set, jumping to leads of 4-1 and 7-2. Johnson had two big kills in the set. Indiana responded, however, thanks to the swing of Benson, who had three kills in the fifth set, and Indiana closed to within 12-9. DeBruler had two big swings for kills in the final two points to give Illinois the win. ""We executed well enough to side out at a high level and get our middles involved,"" Hambly said of the fifth set.

Illini hope less is more for McCamey

Herb Gould — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Has the light gone on for guard Demetri McCamey? ''I think so. I hope so,'' Illini coach Bruce Weber said at Big Ten media day Thursday at the Crowne Plaza O'Hare. ''I'm cautious on it because he hasn't done it consistently. But he has definitely shown some signs of becoming the player that everybody envisioned him being.'' The most obvious sign is McCamey's svelte new body. He's a sculpted 210 pounds, down 13 from last season. ''Stopped the fried food for most of the summer,'' the junior from St. Joseph's said. ''I went from fried chicken to baked chicken, from French fries to rice and green beans, stuff like that. The chicken was the toughest.'' That has helped McCamey go harder at both ends of the floor. And it has moved him closer to his goal of being the all-around leader Illinois will need to build on its solid 24-10 record of last season, which was marred by a disappointing first-round loss to Western Kentucky in the NCAA tournament. ''He looks 10 times more athletic,'' center Mike Tisdale said. ''It's not that he wasn't before, but now he gets up and down the court on defense. He's jumping, dunking the ball more, things you didn't necessarily see last year. Losing the weight's helped him a lot.'' McCamey led the Illini in scoring last season (11.5 points) and earned third-team All-Big Ten honors. But his rare combination of skill, quickness and muscle left everybody wanting more. Including McCamey, whose ultimate goal is to join high school rival Derrick Rose and Illinois predecessor Deron Williams in the NBA. That goal looked a long way off early last season, when Weber made his point about McCamey needing to work harder by refusing to start him in the Illini's first two games. Even when McCamey erupted for 23 points in the third game, a 69-63 victory at Vanderbilt, Weber challenged him to keep it going rather than focusing on a good effort in a tough road venue. The prodding is still there, but it's gentler this season. ''Before, I had to blow up on him,'' Weber said. ''Now, I'm just consistently pushing him. Maybe I'm asking for too much. But as a coach, that's what your job is -- to get the most out of the guys. ''I don't think he'll ever be a defensive stopper. But if he has a dream of playing in the NBA, you've got to be able to guard somebody.'' To help McCamey shed his lazy ways, Weber has found a trio of helpers in freshman guards D.J. Richardson, Brandon Paul and Joseph Bertrand. ''That's one of the best things about the freshmen,'' Weber said. ''They pushed Demetri in conditioning. He doesn't even win. He's just trying to not get blown out. Before, he just kind of went through the motions. Now, he realizes that's what he has to do to really become a dominant player.'' Richardson, who's tracking to start at shooting guard, has the all-around potential to be an especially strong motivator for McCamey. In the frontcourt, junior Alex Legion, who lit up Assembly Hall at the Orange and Blue scrimmage last weekend, is the leading candidate to start at small forward alongside Tisdale and power forward Mike Davis. If all the pieces fall into place, Illinois has the potential to have its best team since the 2005 Final Four squad. But as the point guard, McCamey shapes up as the key. And from his conversations with 2005 stars Williams, Dee Brown and Luther Head, McCamey is intent on using his improved body to respond to Weber's urgings. ''They said they'll always have coach Weber's back,'' McCamey said. ''He helped them out tremendously on and off the court. They told me he's a good guy to listen to.'' And a guy who consistently will deliver his message about consistency. Copyright 2009 Chicago Sun-Times, Inc.All Rights Reserved

Illini men take 9th out of 15 at Isleworth Invitational

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:02:00 +0000

WINDEMERE, Fla. – Illinois finished ninth out of 15 schools at the prestigious Isleworth Invitational that was completed Tuesday. The Illini shot a third round 298 (+10) to finish at 901 (+3), just five strokes out of fifth in a tournament that featured 12 ranked teams. Junior Scott Langley and senior Zach Barlow had solid days for Illinois, each posting final round 73s on the 7,481-yard par 72 Isleworth Golf and Country Club course. Langley (74-77-73) improved 13 places to finish in a tie for 20th in the 75-man field at +8. Barlow, meanwhile, shot his second straight 73 to move into a tie for 29th at +11. Barlow sandwiched teammates Luke Guthrie (73-76-77), who tied for 25th at +10 and junior Chris DeForest (82-71-75), who tied for 33rd at +12. Top-ranked Oklahoma State won the team title at +17 after a final round 301 followed by Florida (+22), Stanford (+24), Georgia (+29) and Alabama (+32). The Crimson Tide's Bud Cauley (-5) posted a one-stroke victory over hard-charging Sihwan Kim (-4) of Stanford. Those were the only two players to shoot under par. For the second straight day, the Illini had an up-and-down round, but in the end shrugged off a first round 306 to post a pair of scores under 300 on the challenging course. The Illini had a better third-round score than six of the eight teams in front of them, but dug themselves too big of a hole. "In the long run, this will be a good experience for us, playing many of the southern schools on their turf," said Illinois head coach Mike Small. "We never could really get any consistency going, but we'll learn from this and get ready for Hawaii." Illinois leaves Friday for the Rainbow State to play in the Turtle Bay Collegiate Invitational on the island of Oahu.

Illini AD says Zook will remain as coach Others on staff might not be safe, however.

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, IND. - Illinois coach Ron Zook will be retained for the 2010 season, athletics director Ron Guenther said Saturday, ending speculation about the fifth-year coach's future amid a 1-6 start. If that decision stands, the university will avoid paying at least $4.24 million to buy out the remaining four years of Zook's contract. But in divulging his intent, Guenther indicated that others on the coaching staff might not be safe. "There will be changes but there won't be a change on the top," he said. "There's a great deal of frustration obviously within the program at the moment. We're still going to evaluate (after the season), but I think it's unfair to start jumping at the end of the fifth year on the guy." Illinois lost 24-14 at Purdue on Saturday, leaving Zook with a 19-36 record at the school and on his way to a fourth losing campaign with one more defeat. He is paid $1.5 million annually and had his contract extended by one year through Jan. 31, 2014 during the summer. "I'm not worried about me, I'm worried about this team,'' Zook said. "They're going to do what they're going to do. It's a profession. I appreciate it, obviously. Ron Guenther is the best thing about this job because he understands. But I understand he has a job to do. We're going to get this thing the way it's supposed to be." Guenther did not take questions or indicate the reasons behind his decision. If Zook were to be fired, the school would owe him $1.06 million for each of his remaining years, according to details of his contract, and possibly $600,000 in deferred compensation, which has accumulated in two accounts. Paul Holmes, an assistant professor of economics at Illinois until 2008, has written about the firing of college football coaches and said before the announcement he found it "tough to imagine'' Illinois opting for a buyout. "The athletic program is not insulated from political pressure,'' he wrote in an e-mail interview. "I think it would be hard to justify spending $4.5 million to buy out Zook's contract in the current political climate at Illinois. It would be further bad publicity for a university struggling to accent the good. The July contract extension made it harder both politically and financially to take any action.'' Zook received a $1.8 million buyout from Florida after he was fired in the middle of the 2004 season, according to published reports. By keeping Zook, Illinois would also avoid paying four assistant coaches $344,600 for their buyouts, which call for a lump sum payment equal to 50 percent of their salaries if Zook is fired. Copyright 2009 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Inc.All Rights Reserved

Penn State dismantles Illinois, 6-0

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 16:35:00 +0000

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — There may have been a power outage prior to Sunday's match at Jeffrey Field, but Katie Schoepfer (Waterford, Conn.) and the Nittany Lions made sure there was no shortage on the field in a 6-0 win over Illinois. Schoepfer notched her first collegiate hat trick, which was the first by a Nittany Lion since Tiffany Weimer in 2005. "I think the first one stood out," Schoepfer recalled of the hat trick. "I think because it was against the run of play. I didn't even expect to score it, it was a nice ball from Christine [Nairn] and I made a good turn. It's always fun to do celebrations on this side of the field since [the benches] are right there." With a live Big Ten Network broadcast in town and power restored just seconds prior to the opening whistle, Penn State (9-5-2, 5-1-1 Big Ten) wasted little time in disposing of Illinois (6-7-3, 1-4-2 Big Ten). Coming off a disappointing tie a week ago at Wisconsin, where the Badgers game back from a two-goal deficit, the Nittany Lions made sure to keep pushing to the final horn, putting away a season-high number of goals this year. "This is a big one," Head coach Erica Walsh said after the game in responding to the Wisconsin draw. "I have a ton of respect for what Illinois has done year in and year out." A back-and-forth first half saw Penn State get on the board first when Schoepfer took a cross from Christine Nairn (Bowie, Md.) and slotted the ball top shelf over Illinois' Alexandra Kapicka (seven saves) in the 22nd minute. "I kept telling the coaches when I was struggling that it's going to take one goal and I'm going to get going," Schoepfer said. "It's been working for me since Michigan State, it's been clicking for me and I've been ready to play." Twenty-two minutes later, Schoepfer again was in the fray when her assist set up Danielle Toney (Northville, Mich.) for the junior forward's ninth goal of the season just 47 seconds from halftime. The Nittany Lions entered the intermission with the 2-0 lead thanks to a 10-6 edge in shots, finishing goals with precise touches. "[Assistant coach] Ann [Cook] has been working with them almost every single day," Added Walsh. "She's taken the forward away from the group, almost alienating them, and has them hitting 100 balls into the back of the net. It seems to be working." Illinois kept things at 2-0 for the first 20 minutes of the second half, but Toney connected with Schoepfer on a beautiful early ball to give Schoepfer a breakaway chance. The senior forward sent the ball over the diving Kapicka for a 3-0 lead in the 65th minute. The Nittany Lions didn't let off the gas, looking like the better rested and faster team, pushing forward and struck again when Schoepfer completed the hat trick five and a half minutes later. Alli Rago (Fairfield, Conn.) sent a gorgeous ball through to Schoepfer who ran onto it and scored another breakaway tally in the 71st. With the goal, Schoepfer moved into the team lead for goals at 10, one ahead of Toney. "I think they had their legs underneath them," Walsh said. "They had a little fun in practice this week, all the pieces together let them come out here and have some fun today. I think our big pieces are playing better and Shep and Dani are finding the back of the net. Their confidence is just growing and I think that's the biggest thing." Just 71 seconds later, Rago took a throw in from Ali Schaefer (Las Vegas, Nev.) and attempted a cross from the left wing to the goal area. Instead, Rago's ball sailed over Kapicka's head and in the net on the far post from about 40 yards away. The tally was Rago's first of the season and first three-point day of her collegiate career. "We've had all the lucky breaks," Schoepfer said. "It's about time because this year it's kind of been filled with unlucky breaks for us. Rago's goal was awesome, it was great." With a five-goal advantage intact, the Nittany Lion reserves got a chance to get into the fray. A Jess Rosenbluth (Gladwyne, Pa.) through ball set up a Maddy Evans (Glenside, Pa.) breakaway goal to cap a 6-0 win in the 79th minute. The 6-0 win was the largest margin of victory ever over the Illini, while also marking the first six-goal game by the Nittany Lions since a similar score line on Nov. 11, 2005 against Bucknell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Schoepfer also reached another milestone on her historic day, as she scored in her seventh-straight game, tying with Penn State great Christie Welsh for third all-time in scoring streaks at Penn State. Additionally, Penn State moved to 20-2-2 all-time when Toney scores a goal and 10-0 against the Illini at Jeffrey Field. "Obviously going away to a tough Indiana trip on Thursday we needed this one under our belt," said Walsh. The Nittany Lions will be back in action when they travel to Bloomington, Ind. to take on the Hoosiers of Indiana this Thursday. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m. and live stats will be available through GameTracker on GoPSUsports.com.