As volleyball season gets into the thick of conference play, Illinois has an even better chance of setting itself apart as a top team in a very stacked Big Ten. The Illini had an absolute gauntlet to start Big Ten play, and coming out of it 4-3 could set this team apart as a real threat when it comes time for the NCAA Tournament.
Illinois began conference play against No. 15 Minnesota, No. 23 USC, No. 22 Washington, No. 17 Oregon, No. 7 Wisconsin, No. 16 Purdue, and No. 22 Michigan State. The Illini vaulted themselves into the rankings, winning the first three games, before falling to Oregon, Wisconsin, and Purdue, which dropped them out of the Top 25.
A strong win over the Spartans on Thursday allowed Illinois to finish the string of seven-straight ranked opponents on a high note before getting a breather against six non-ranked opponents.
Illinois sits just outside the Top 25 college volleyball rankings
The win over Michigan State could be enough to get the Illini back in the Top 25. In the most recent rankings, Illinois sat just outside the Top 25 with the most votes at 114, which effectively puts them at No. 26. The win over the Spartans could put the Illini back in the rankings, giving them an even better chance at a tournament spot for the postseason.
The end of the regular season will be yet another test for the Illini, with UCLA, which is also receiving votes in the rankings, No. 18 Indiana, and No. 1 Nebraska as two of the final four games of the season. Not only will the Illini have to take on some of the top teams in the conference, but they will have to do so away from home.
While the Illini may not walk away with a win, stealing any sets in these games will be crucial in building confidence for this team heading into the postseason. During Illinois' gauntlet to start conference play, the Illini struggled to win sets in their losses, picking up only one against Oregon and taking Purdue to five sets.
The lone Top 10 team Illinois faced was Wisconsin, which swept the Illini three sets to none. Illinois only scored over 20 points in one set, struggling to get past the Badgers' wall of blockers. The Badgers had eight total blocks compared to the Illini's five. Wisconsin's hitting attack also far outweighed Illinois' with 46 kills and a .361 hitting percentage compared to 39 kills on a .176 hitting percentage.
Illinois may be at the point of competing well within the conference, but not quite top-tier with teams like Nebraska and Wisconsin. This is a good start, though, for the Illini, and it should be enough to get them to the postseason tournament.
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This article was originally published on www.writingillini.com as Illinois volleyball just sent a message with a 4-3 record against 7 straight ranked opponents.