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Touching all the Bases

Catching up after a hectic week at Huff Hall:

Posted by: Jeff Huth

Monday, December 8, 2008 4:25 PM

Catching up after a hectic week at Huff Hall:

With the Illini volleyball team headed to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2003, we'll have a story in the News-Gazette - and on Illinihq.com - later this week detailing the primary reasons for this squad's remarkable improvement in merely one year.
Coming off a three-year run of losing Big Ten records and picked by the conference's coaches to finish fifth, Don Hardin's team thumbed its nose at recent history and the preseason prognosticators to finish third, rise to No. 14 in the national poll and receive a No. 9 seed in the NCAA tournament.
We'll explore five factors that fueled the Illini's meteoric rise from eighth place in the Big Ten last year to one of the 16 remaining survivors in this year's NCAA tournament.
Look for blocking to be on the list.
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Unlike in some sports, the media isn't included in voting for the annual the All-Big Ten volleyball team. However, the Big Ten does enlist a media panel to vote for the volleyball coach of the year. Thought I'd share my ballot and thought process. We were asked to pick three coaches in order of preference:

1. Don Hardin, Illinois; In awards of these types, I've always leaned toward the coach who far - and it has to be far - exceeded expectations. The Illini were expected to be improved, but to 15-5? Don't think anyone saw that record coming. Or that Illinois would go 2-0 against every team below it in the standings with the exception of that hiccup against Northwestern on Oct. 17.
2. Russ Rose, Penn State: Rose was the coach of the year choice of both his Big TEn peers and the media. Hard to argue with a perfect record. Or, more remarkably, with the fact the Nittany Lions still have yet to lose even a single set this season. If the defending NCAA champions don't repeat, ... well, they will!
3. Mike Hebert, Minnesota: The former Illini coach and Hall of Famer just keeps rolling. His second-place Gophers were 16-4 in the conference and, like Illinois, have some super sophs that should keep this program at a high level for several years.
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What Illinois accomplished this season in the Big Ten is looking even more impressive in the wake of the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament. Of the league's five tournament teams, four advanced to the Sweet 16. That's the second-highest total of any conference after the Pac-10's five survivors. The Big 12 is next with three teams in the Sweet 16.
The identity of the one Big Ten victim last weekend, however, was a shocker. Minnesota - ranked 10th and seeded sixth - was knocked off by a 12-loss Iowa State team in the second round at Minneapolis. Had to be a bitter pill for Hebert and his team to swallow.
Don't blame Centennial graduate Kelly Schmidt for the loss, however. In her final collegiate match, the Gopher senior belted 10 kills and hit a sizzling .562 in 16 swings.

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Correction: Based on the UI's media notes for the NCAA tournament, stories in The N-G and on illini.hq following Saturday's victory indicated Illinois was returning to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2001. Not true. The Illini last made it that far in 2003. The 2001 team was eliminated in the second round.

For the record, Don Hardin now has guided Illinois to the Sweet 16 three times: in 1998, 2003 and 2008.