That was one impressive bounce-back performance by Illini volleyball team on Sunday at Huff Hall.
Coming off a mistake-filled five-set loss to last-place Northwestern two nights earlier, Illinois swept a Wisconsin team that had dominated Don Hardin's Illini the past three years.
Besides ending a six-match losing streak to the Badgers and remaining tied for third place in the Big Ten, the Illini swiftly and decisively answered doubts about whether they are contenders or pretenders in the conference.
Those doubts arose when a Wildcats team that started the night 0-6 in the Big Ten ambushed host Illinois on Friday after trailing two sets to one. From an offensive standpoint, it was an ugly match, with the teams combining for 63 hitting errors. But when push came to shove, Northwestern survived in five to upset the Illini.
Afterward, I found myself wondering whether this young Illinois team is still learning how to react when placed in the role of favorite. Coming off three consecutive losing Big Ten records, it's a role even the few veterans on the team have little experience in. Perhaps this team needs to go through such situations multiple times before it's comfortable and confident with being the favorite. And with being a target of hungry underdogs like Northwestern.
On Sunday, the No. 17 Illini faced a different type of pressure. How would they react after that disappointing home loss to the Wildcats? Particularly against a No. 19 Wisconsin program that hasn't finished lower than fourth in the Big Ten since 1996.
The answer was a 27-25, 25-17, 25-22 sweep of the Badgers.