Illinois News: V'Angelo Bentley on the verge of breaking all-time Illini kick return yardage record

"You're supposed to be an electrifying guy and that's what I want to be."

- V'Angelo Bentley, Daily Illini

Fighting Illini cornerback/kick returner/punt returner/wide receiver/robot V'Angelo Bentley is just 106 yards away from breaking the program's all-time kick return yardage record (currently held by Pierre Thomas).

As he's proven over the past three plus years, V'Angelo Bentley can be a dynamic force on the field. From fielding punts and kickoffs to defending the opponent's top receiver, he does it all. In fact, he's the only player in the history of Illinois to record a touchdown via interception, fumble recovery, kickoff return and punt return.

"He’s so natural," said special teams’ coordinator Alex Golesh. "He sees and feels things as a returner. As a kick returner, it’s relatively easy. But, as a punt returner, you got to have something about you to know ‘Hey, when I look down ... when you look away from the coverage unit, I might get sacked.’ And to me, that takes a different kind of kid. I couldn’t do it."

Bentley is also an important force within the locker room. Despite the fact that Tim Beckman worked directly with the defensive backs, V'Angelo has emerged as a leader of this new Illini regime. His focus and leadership throughout the remainder of the season will be key for this team as they try to make it back to a bowl game for the second consecutive year.

Volleyball Preps for Shocker Classic

- Illinois Athletics

The Illini women's volleyball team heads to Wichita, Kansas this weekend to compete in the Shocker Classic where they will play three matches. Coming off the most recent Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge, the Illini are 4-1 on the year and are currently ranked #7 in the nation. Coach Kevin Hambly discussed the past week and previewed the upcoming matches in the video below. A winning weekend would hopefully vault the team into a top five position in the national rankings.

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