The Illinois volleyball team is ranked sixth in the AVCA coaches’ top 25 preseason poll, which was announced last Tuesday.

This is the team’s highest preseason ranking since 1993 and the first time since 1989 and 1990 that the Illini have had a top-10 ranking two seasons in a row.

The Illini are tied for sixth with Minnesota. Three-time defending NCAA champion Penn State leads the poll.

“It’s fun that we have these high rankings, but we don’t want to think about them because they don’t matter and we don’t want them to affect our play,” head coach Kevin Hambly said. “Rankings mean nothing once you get into the individual matchups because everything counts on that performance.”

Illinois is scheduled to play each of the top three ranked teams during the regular season. They will play No. 2 Nebraska on Sept. 11, No. 3 Texas on Sept. 3 and the Nittany Lions twice in conference competition, on Sept. 24 and Nov. 13.

“This schedule is insane,” senior Hillary Haen said. “It’s definitely the best nonconference schedule we have ever had.”

The team was picked by the Big Ten coaches to finish runner-up again this season.

Illinois had the most representatives on the preseason All-Big Ten team, making up one-fourth of the 16-player squad. Seniors Laura Debruler, Haen and Johannah Bangert made the team, along with junior Michelle Bartsch.

Larger roster leads to greater balance on team

With eight additions to the team this season, the women have one of their largest rosters in years with 17 people on the roster.

The women have been focusing on getting to know each other by having individual meetings in order to bond as a team, Hambly said.

His only worry is that the newcomers are spending too much time with returning players instead of getting to know their own recruiting class.

The older players are excited to have a larger roster because it leads to more interesting in-practice competitions.

“Everybody here has talent, and that’s what makes it fun,” Bangert said. “There’s so much you can work with, and everybody has something different to offer.”

Volleyball 101, Stuff Huff drum up fan support

As one of the larger women’s sports in the fall season, the team typically draws large crowds, but this year there has been even more buzz around campus.

“I definitely think that people are talking about us, and that’s what makes things more fun,” Haen said. “It’s our fans that keep us going and just support us so much, making the experience a million times better.”

The team has been doing its traditional events to attract fans, such as the annual alumni match, which took place last Saturday, and the Stuff Huff event, which will happen Friday. At Stuff Huff, Illinois has drawn over 2,000 fans for the event each of the past four years.

New this year, the Illini coaching staff hosted a one-night course called “Volleyball 101” where they offered an inside look about the Illinois playing systems.

“We want people to be included and see what we are doing,” Hambly said. “We have a strong fan support base and we want to keep it.”