Sometime within the next few weeks, the Big Ten will announce its annual preseason women’s volleyball poll. Last summer — at least where Don Hardin’s Illini were concerned — the league’s coaches got it right. Their votes pegged Illinois for eighth place, and that’s where the Illini finished. Where will the coaches slot Illinois this year? Good question.

Typically, they’ve been strongly influenced by a team’s reputation (as in Penn State good; Iowa bad) and what kind of a season it is coming off. That would seem to indicate the 2008 Illini will be voted among the bottom half. With three consecutive losing Big Ten records, Illinois’ reputation has taken a hit. But coaches who do their homework in preparation for this poll — we presume there are a least some — will note that Illinois returns most of its team, including a sophomore group that was the nation’s No. 6 recruiting class when it arrived. Outside of middle blocker Vicki Brown, none of Illinois’ graduation losses were signficant. And with the arrival of a new class that includes U.S. Junior National Team player Michelle Bartsch , the Illini talent base appears to be growing.

Will that be enough to convince Big Ten coaches Illiinois is an up-and-comer worthy of at least middle-of-the pack consideration? Or will they take a skeptical, prove-it-first view of the Illini while filling out their ballots?

Stay tuned.

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If the opinion of folks at USA Volleyball means anything, the Illini have at least two difference-makers on the way. When the 18-player U.S. Junior National Training Team cut its roster to 12, Bartsch was among the survivors. At 6-foot-4, the middle blocker/opposite hitter should be a welcome addition at the net this fall for an Illini team that ranked 10th in the Big Ten in blocking in 2007 (11th in league matches).

Jennifer Bonilla, a Class of 2010 commitment, also is a rising star in the USA Volleyball firmament. The 5-foot-9 libero was a key member of the U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team that won the NORCECA Under-18 Continental Championship in July. In fact, Bonilla was selected the top libero of the tournament. Her arrival at the UI will coincide with the graduation departure of Ashley Edinger. Last season, only two Big Ten players averaged more digs per game than then-sophomore Edinger. With Edinger and Bonilla, the position should be in good hands for years to come at Illinois.