 |
| Illini assistant volleyball coaches Kent Miller and Jen Flynn Oldenburg will be in the chat room Thursday, Nov. 5, starting at Noon CT. |
Find out the latest surrounding Illinois' nationally Top-10-ranked volleyball program. Assistant coaches Kent Miller and Jen Flynn Oldenburg will be in the chat room Thursday, Nov. 5, starting at Noon CT. Send in your questions today.
|
 |
|
| John (Belleville): What roles do each of you play on the staff? Also, who is the primary recruiter? |
 |
 |
Kent Miller: On our staff I coordinate the scouting and am responsible for the blocking and defensive adjustments during the matches. Jen takes care of the serving and passing as well as individual defense during the matches. Our responsibilities during practice mirror that with all of us having input to each area. Recruiting is a joint effort by all of our staff and is always a top priority. |
|
|
| Hector (Champaign): You lost the best player on your team in Ashley Edinger.. The heart and soul of the Illini... now what? Who will take over for libero? What kinds of changes/blocking schemes must you do differently? |
|
|
Kent Miller: Ashley's injury is tremendous loss but the team, and Ashley, are handling it well. Rachel Feldman has stepped into the Libero role and has done well in the last two days of practice. Fortunately, we have a team of talented all-around volleyball players and everyone is chipping in to make up for the loss of Ashley. Our basic schemes will remain the same as we go into the weekend. |
|
|
| Brian (Dublin, Ohio): Do you still stay in contact with Jim Stone? Have you seen his commentary on the Big Ten Network? How do you think he's doing? |
 |
|
Jen Flynn Oldenburg: I keep in touch with Jim throughout the year. Not only do I like to hear his insight to the game and our team, but we've developed a friendship over the years. I think he does a tremendous job sharing that knowledge on the Big Ten Network and I would love to see him on there more often. |
|
|
| Brooke (Urbana): Jen, What was your experience like playing professionally? Do you see another women's professional league starting up? |
|
|
Jen Flynn Oldenburg: I had a incredible professional experience. I loved that I was able to do so in the States while getting some of the best coaching out there from Arie Selinger. My time with the National Team was also very special and unforgettable. Without those experiences, I don't think I'd be the person and coach I am today. I would love to see another women's professional league get started, but given the history of those leagues in the States, it proves to be difficult but I don't think it's impossible. |
|
|
| Wally (Howell, Mich.): Kent, You and Mark Rosen go way back. Can you relate a story or two about him. How is is to play against his team such as this weekend. |
|
|
Kent Miller: There is too many stories for us for sure! I met Mark when we played on the same hockey team when we were 12 or 13 in Anchorage. It is amazing the paths our lives have taken and we both end up coaching volleyball! I was at Toledo when Mark and Leisa took the Michigan job. They had a home built so I took care of the dogs for 13 months, including helping Bo through a doggie ACL reconstruction. It is always the most fun to beat your friends so coaching against him is a blast! |
|
|
| Alan (Mahomet): Kent, How has the transition for you been from head coach back to assistant? What went into the decision to take this job? |
|
|
Kent Miller: I have really enjoyed coaching here at Illinois. It was a tough decision to leave Toledo, especially when we had good young student athletes there and quality recruits coming in, but it has been really rewarding. Kevin and Jen have been great and in looking at opportunities, there are very few programs I would want to join as an assistant. The approach to the student athlete experience here is extraordinary. I spent 10 years as an assistant before so I understand the role and Kevin and Jen have made it easy. I love that I am getting exposed to new ideas every day. |
|
|
| Champaign: I really like the new offense this year playing a 5:1 versus the 6:2 last season. The ball is really being spread around versus last years continual sets to Debruler. Do you determine pre-game where you want the sets, or does the setter (Hillary), make that decision on the court? |
|
|
Jen Flynn Oldenburg: There is definitely a little of both. Kevin and Hillary have a game plan prior to the match that they discuss. During the match, Hillary makes all of the decisions. Any adjustments are discussed in timeouts and between sets. I would have to say that Hillary knows the game really well and knows who to give the ball to in pressure situations. |
|
|
| Omaha: You are having a great season so far, so Congrats on that! Do you think that the team is exceeding expectations or are you where you thought the team would be at this point in the season? Also is there still room for improvement? |
|
|
Jen Flynn Oldenburg: I wouldn't say that we are exceeding expectations and to be honest, we are constantly evaluating how good we are internally. We don't want our ranking to determine who we are at this point of the season so we are striving to improve each practice and each match. We certainly think we have room for improvement and we're excited to see how good we can be when it comes to tournament time. |
|
| Moderator: We have a few questions about recruiting. Understand that coaches aren't permitted to talk about specifics until players are signed. |
| Moderator: Thanks for all your questions. Looking forward to seeing everyone at Huff this weekend! |
|
|
