The award for the Best Female Athlete at the University of Illinois will no doubt go to Angela Bizarri, the winner of the NCAA cross country meet.   No problem.  Great accomplishment.

     There will be support for others, too, including Jenna Smith - the almost daily double-double mainstay of the women's basketball team.

     But, the most athletic woman on the U of I campus is Laura DeBruler, the 5'11 junior outside hitter from Downers Grove North High School.  Laura does things on a volleyball court that others only dream about.   Even her coach, Kevin Hambly, says:  "I have seen her make plays that no one else - anywhere - can make."

     All sets to the outside hitter are not perfect, but Laura is able to leap, twist, and turn and smash kill after kill.  It is demoralizing to be on the other side of the net.  And she combines that with some amazing digs - diving, scrambling, one-handed impossible digs that a lesser athlete would not even attempt.

     She is the heart of soul of Hambly's Sweet Sixteen bound team that destroyed a 30-3 Dayton squad Friday night at Huff.   The atmosphere for that match - with the battle of the Dayton and Illini bands, the tremendously loud and creative Illini student section, and a very large orange-clad crowd made this a night to remember.

     Speaking of the student section - here are some of the things they yell - in unison - when certain things happen on the court:

     A Dayton player is called for a double-hit:  YOU CAN'T DO THAT - YOU CAN'T DO THAT!!

     Three Dayton players let a ball fall between them:  THAT WAS STUPID.  THAT WAS STUPID!!!

     After yet another DeBruler kill:  YOU CAN'T STOP HER.  YOU CAN'T STOP HER!!!!

     A Dayton player from Canada prepares to serve:  USA!!  USA!!

     When an opponent is blocked at the net:  ROOF ROOF ROOF ROOF-E-O.

     When Wolfe comes in to serve for the Illini:  they hold up their hands in the sign of the wolf and begin growling.

     When the opposing team is being introduced:  they hold up and pretend to read newspapers.  We are so bored!  Then, when Illini players are introduced they crumple up the papers and throw them in the air.

     This is great fun.

     The Illini volleyball team is the most fun and the most exciting team on campus.

     Laura DeBruler is the best female athlete on campus.   Period.

    Good luck at Stanford!!!