East Peoria, IL - The Illinois Central College Volleyball program is celebrating its 50th season this fall. The Cougars, who graduated a large sophomore class after the 2023 season, return a grouping of sophomores in 2024. That coupled with a quality incoming freshman class only builds the anticipation for the official season opener on Friday. Not to mention, the NJCAA recently ranked the Cougars sixth nationally in the preseason poll for D2 volleyball. 

NOTABLE NAMES GONE, NEW NAMES IN
ICC loses a group of sophomores that certainly left a mark on the program. Emily Allison led the team in kills (438), aces (65), and points per set (3.3). Emily Cronkhite was another mainstay in the service game, just trailing Allison with 56 aces and leading the squad in digs with 934, the latter rated as one of the best marks in the country. Kaitlyn Baumann was another name that held down the front row, hitting .377 on the fall, and leading the Cougars in every block-based category, including 160 total blocks, an average of 0.97 per set. Hannah Tellor was one of four Cougars that eclipsed 300 kills on the year, ending with 331, not to mention her 439 digs which were third on the team. Cronkhite (Binghamton University), Baumann (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi), and Tellor (Illinois Wesleyan University) will all be continuing their playing careers this fall. 

All that being said, sixth-year head coach Tracy Heffren says that it's just part of the nature of the two-year junior college cycle, and she feels what roster her and her staff have been able to bring in is a good one. 

"We did lose a lot of key players," Heffren said, adding "We recycle every year,". 

Now, the Cougars also went out and picked up a couple junior college transfers, getting Morton College's Nevaeh Lewis (East Peoria HS) and Iowa Western's Maddie Jones (Wiscasset, Maine). Heffren feels that the Lewis/Jones duo has the goal of "beefing up" the sophomore class, given the limited number of returners. 

NOTABLE RETURNERS ARE BACK
Despite the losses personnel-wise, the Cougars do still retain multiple category-leaders from the 2023 campaign. Makenzie Pflederer played in all 45 matches, getting 312 kills and 468 digs. Shelby Emich got 612 assists as one of the Cougar setters, a mark good for 9 assists per set. Maris Barclay led the team in assists with 674. 

PRESEASON HAS BEEN IMPORTANT
Given the eight freshmen that are on the roster here in 2024, Coach Heffren acknowledges the significance of the preseason development stage of a season can be perhaps a bit more important that it would be with a large number of returners, for example. 

"We're going to have to break things down a little bit more often and explain some of the drills that we do, why we do things in practice, versus having that 'they should already know that' mentality. Plus, the sophomores are also very good at explaining things," Heffren said.

BUILDING OFF A SUCCESSFUL 2023
Individual accolades aside for a moment, the team as a whole had another championship-caliber fall, winning the District Central-B Tournament inside the friendly confines of Ramsey Gym, then going on to the Elite 8 at Nationals, whilst also defeating Region 24 foe Heartland on the National stage, as the Hawks and Cougars were two of the three teams (Parkland) representing the Region on the big stage. 

Heffren says that, just like any season, it's a new season, but at the same time, there's certainly something to build on after the 2023 finish. 

"That's (Nationals) our goal every year is to get there. We play a hard schedule, and that's why we play it. We have such a challenging region, and it's getting even more challenging. We have four new head coaches in the region this year, so you just never know."

BULKY NON-REGION SCHEDULE AWAITS
"I don't play a fluff schedule. I play a schedule of challenge," was in part what Coach Heffren had to say about another impressive out-of-region slate of matches in 2024. 

At some point over the course of the regular season, the #6-ranked Cougars will play #3 Johnson County, #7 Iowa Central, #9 Kirkwood, #11 Des Moines Area, #15 Neosho County, #18 Central (NE), #19 Rock Valley, #21 Madison, #22 McHenry County, #23 Sauk Valley, and #25 Enterprise State. That's nearly half of the Top 25 poll, and that's not including Region 24 opposition. 

A majority of those opponents come in neutral-site tournaments, which Heffren says is a key part of the schedule's construction.

"That's why we play in the tournaments we play in. The teams that are in these are either nationally ranked, or a contender to at least get to the National Tournament. That's who we want to play."

SAME OLD, SAME OLD - REGION 24 WILL BE TOUGH AGAIN
To those that have followed Region 24 volleyball, it's no secret - it's in the conversation as one of the toughest regions in the nation. For one, the Cougars, Heartland, and Parkland, as mentioned, all made Nationals last season. That's just the top layer of the cake, too. Because of that, Heffren emphasizes that there's no off days when it comes to the region schedule. 

"Every time that we step on the floor, we try to talk about the importance of playing well from the very beginning, and consistently throughout the match. It's this (region) time that we need to be peaking." 

The Cougars will host #5-ranked Parkland on Wednesday, October 2nd, and travel to #10-ranked Heartland on Wednesday, October 23rd.

50 YEARS OF HISTORY
The aforementioned 50th season of ICC Volleyball is not taken lightly, especially by someone like Coach Heffren, a playing alumnus as well. 

"You think back, 50 years, for me, it seems to have gone by very quickly. It's come full circle," Heffren said, reminiscing that "the tradition that was established back when Karen Guthmiller was here in 1974, carried on to Sue (Sinclair), and now on to me? I feel honored, blessed to have had the torch passed."

With Heffren only being the third head coach in program history, it's something Heffren thinks "is a testament to the program, because they want to stay. They enjoy the community, the school, and all the aspects it brings". 

TOURNEY TIME
The Cougars will get right to work, playing a neutral-site tournament at the UW Health Sports Factory, playing two matches on Friday, August 23rd, and two matches on Saturday, August 24th. Fans planning on going to any of the matches are encouraged to visit the tournament's Visitors Page at THIS LINK for more details, such as court assignments, scheduling, and more. 

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
2024 Season Opener
vs. Gulf Coast State
@ UW Health Sports Factory - Rockford, IL
1:00 PM First Serve
Watch Live ($) (BallerTV)