For sole Illinoisan on Illini volleyball squad, home is crucial

It was obvious to Morgan O'Brien right away.

Huff Hall felt like home.

And O'Brien likes home.

Home is a big reason that O'Brien, a standout volleyball player at Libertyville High School, chose to play her college ball at the University of Illinois.

"I love Huff Hall," O'Brien said of the old school gym that is home to the volleyball team, which is ranked No. 7 in the country and typically plays in front of sellout crowds.

"When I visited Illinois, it was kind of last-minute and I wasn't really thinking much about going to school there, but by the end of the night, I really wanted to come here. Huff Hall is so fun. The atmosphere is great, the fans are so loud. I felt at home there."

O'Brien, a sophomore defensive specialist for the Illini, quickly realized on her visit that she wanted her second home (college) to be close to her actual home in north suburban Libertyville.

"I love to go home," she said. "I can go home for the day and it's no big deal. I went home one day to help my sister (McKenzie) go wedding dress shopping. I love being able to do that."

Ironically, O'Brien is the only player who can zip a few hours across the state and be home.

She is the only player for the Illinois volleyball team who is actually from Illinois.

"I have no clue why that is. It's so weird," O'Brien said with a laugh. "In my classes, everyone is from the suburbs, everyone is from the state of Illinois. But on the team, I'm the only one. I don't know where all the volleyball players from Illinois are going."

High school volleyball and club volleyball in Illinois has a great reputation for high-level talent. Yet, the Illini have still managed to produce a nationally ranked team without their roster being stacked with in-state stars.

Second-year coach Chris Tamas has blended players from California and Colorado and Ohio and Kansas and Florida and Texas and Georgia and Indiana and Michigan to become one of the best teams in the Big Ten.

Heading into home games this weekend at Huff Hall against Iowa and Nebraska, Illinois is the only undefeated team (13-0) left in the rugged Big Ten, which boasts seven ranked teams and five in the top 10.

At 2-0 in conference play, the Illini are tied for second place with Nebraska (2-0) behind first-place Minnesota (3-0).

Nebraska is the highest-ranked team from the Big Ten at No. 3 in the country.

"It's super exciting that we are doing so well and that we are ranked where we are," O'Brien said. "But we try not to let that become too much of what we think about. We have been working on the mental aspects of volleyball this season. There is so much talent in the Big 10. A lot of teams can win on their talent in this conference, but the teams that can be mentally stronger are the teams that are going to come out on top most often."

O'Brien has done her part to help the Illini keep clipping along.

She is a starter as a libero, which means she plays defense in the back row for the middle blockers. She is on the floor for all six rotations.

"When I realized in high school that I wasn't going to be very tall, I started specializing in defense," said the 5-foot-8 O'Brien, who helped Libertyville place second in the state during her sophomore year. "I've worked really hard to improve since I've been at Illinois. A lot of it has been little technique things with my game, but these are things that make a big difference.

"All of us have been working hard like that because we know that we are a target and a lot of teams will give us their best shot."

pbabcock@dailyherald.com

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