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Illinois volleyball head coach Chris Tamas had a wildly successful first season in Champaign, finishing with a 23-11 record and bringing the program back to the NCAA Tournament after a one-year absence. The Illini finished fifth in the Big Ten and fell to Michigan State in the NCAA Regional Semifinal.
And now Illinois is back — with exhibition matches.
The Illini hosted the Bradley Braves at Huff Hall on Friday night, taking all four sets in the exhibition (25-18, 25-19, 25-16, 25-15). Usually a collegiate volleyball match is best of five, but The News-Gazette’s Scott Richey put it best.
Emily Hollowell with the winning kill again as Illinois tops Bradley 25-16 in the third set to take a 3-0 lead on Bradley. But since it's spring and rules can be stretched, one more set will be played. #Illini
— Scott Richey (@srrichey) April 7, 2018
Illinois will host Illinois State on Friday, April 13, in a second exhibition match before closing the spring season at Iowa State on April 20.
Below you will find a photo gallery from Illinois’ win over Bradley, courtesy of TCR photographer Jonathan Bonaguro.
