Touching all the Bases

Ex-Illini coaches returning to campus

Posted by: Jeff Huth

Monday, August 31, 2009 4:22 PM

Over the next two weekends, the Illini's past and present will converge on campus in the sports of soccer and volleyball.
Jillian Ellis, who coached a start-from-scratch UI soccer program during its first two seasons (1997-98), will bring her UCLA Bruins to the Illinois Soccer and Track Stadium to face the Illini at 7 p.m. Friday in a matchup of nationally ranked teams.
We interviewed Ellis on Monday for a story that will appear in The News-Gazette and on-line at www.IlliniHQ later this week. Needless to say, she's looking forward to the visit.
Before we talked soccer, I asked Ellis if her home was located anywhere near the wildfires currently menacing parts of southern California. She said she lives near the ocean and that the fires are farther inland, so there was no personal threat at this point.
However, Ellis added that smoke from the fires has drifted across the entire Los Angeles area, having a major impact on the air quality. She also said that during her team's bus ride Sunday to and from a game at Long Beach State, heavy smoke was visible on the horizon in the direction of the fires.
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Another familiar name will be on campus the weekend of Sept. 11-12. Former Illini volleyball assistant Anne Kordes and her No. 19. St. Louis Billikens are entered in the State Farm Illini Classic at Huff Hall. St. Louis and No. 8 Illinois will meet in the tournament finale of the round-robin event at 7 p.m. Sept. 12. Wouldn't be surprised if the title is decided in that match. We'll be sure to catch up with Kordes next week for a story to appear in the paper and on-line as part of our tournament preview.

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Illini soccer coach Janet Rayfield said Monday she expects midfielder Jackie Santacaterina to make her 2009 debut this weekend in the Illini Challenge Cup. The two-time All-Big Ten pick missed Illinois' first three games due to a broken bone in her left foot.
"I think we're pretty comfortable that this is the weekend we get her back on the field," Rayfield said. "Maybe not starting, maybe not playing as many minutes as people are used to seeing Jackie play. But I think we'll definitely get her back on the field this weekend, and that will be great for us and great for her."
After the Illini face UCLA, they'll take on California Santa Barbara in the tournament finale at 2 p.m. Sunday.

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