When news broke last week that Ashley Edinger would be sidelined for the rest of the season, it must have hit like a lightning bolt within the Illini volleyball program.
You don't lose your career digs leader and an ultra-steadying force on defense without fearing the consequences.  A starter since she arrived at Illinois, the senior libero has set the Illini standard for players at her position while rewriting the school record book for digs. Take a look at the Big Ten top 10 list for career digs and you'll find one Illini: Ashley Edinger.
Then, suddenly, she was gone from the lineup, a victim of a season-ending knee injury. For a fifth-ranked team with legitimately high expectations for the NCAA tournament, this could only be viewed a major blow.
That was then. This is now.
Although No. 5 Illinois is only two matches into the post-Edinger era, coach Kevin Hambly and his team have reason to believe they can withstand this setback. With her play last weekend, emergency replacement Rachel Feldman indicated she's up to the challenge of filling some mighty big shoes.
In her first collegiate start on Friday, the sophomore responded with a team-high-tying 19 digs and withstood a barrage of serves from Michigan. Against the Big Ten's best serving team - the Wolverines are No. 1 in aces per set - Feldman received 41 of Michigan's 79 serves in the four-set match without committing an error.
One night later, the second-year walkon produced a team-best nine digs in a three-set sweep of Michigan State. Most revealing, she apparently had earned the respect of Spartans coaches with her play against the Wolverines. Instead of targeting Feldman, MSU servers more often went after Laura DeBruler. DeBruler was on the receiving end of 21 serves, while Feldman fielded 13 (and did commit one error).
To reiterate, the Illini are only two matches into this transition at libero. This weekend, Feldman faces two more tests by fire. On Friday, Illinois visits a top-ranked Penn State team that ranks third in the Big Ten in service aces and No. 1 in the nation in hitting percentage. On Saturday, the Illini visit an Ohio State team that ranks second in both service aces and hitting percentage in the Big Ten.
But if Feldman can continue to play as steadily this weekend away from Huff Hall as she did at home last weekend, Illinois should have that much more confidence the libero position is in capable hands.
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When the NCAA signing period begins Wednesday, Hambly will finally be able to comment publicly on Edinger's heir apparent. That would be Jennifer Bonilla, a high school senior libero from Reseda, Calif., who orally committed to the UI when she was a sophomore.
The 5-foot-10 Bonilla has been selected to various USA Volleyball national teams since 2004, most recently playing in the 2009 Girls´ Youth World Championship in Thailand.
Her prep credentials at Marymount High in Los Angeles include selection to the 2008 All-California Interscholastic Federation Division I Team. That same year, she was among Volleyball Magazine's 30 Underclassmen to Watch.
Bonilla plays outside hitter for Marymount, which is ranked No. 8 in the nation by MaxPreps.com.