DEERFIELD – Rachael White, the 10th-ranked high school senior in the nation, has orally committed to the Illinois women's tennis team.

The 2006 IHSA state singles champion selected the UI on Monday after making an official campus visit last weekend. White, who attends Deerfield High, said she also considered scholarship offers from Florida State, Arizona State, Clemson and North Carolina.

URBANA – Women's soccer isn't the only Big Ten sport abandoning its conference tournament.

A new-look Big Ten softball schedule starting in 2009 will not include a postseason event.

CHAMPAIGN – In the days leading up to Northwestern's visit to Huff Hall on Friday night, Don Hardin insisted the scrappy and dangerous Wildcats had no business being 0-6 in the Big Ten.

Turns out the Illinois volleyball coach was right. Northwestern's search for its elusive first conference win came to an end at the expense of a mistake-prone Illini team.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – Top-ranked Penn State withstood an early Illinois push to stretch its winning streak to 39 with a 25-16, 25-19, 25-12 win Saturday.

News-Gazette staff writer Jeff Huth reviews and previews all things Illinois:

CHAMPAIGN – Illinois coach Terri Sullivan announced five signees to her incoming freshman class Friday, bringing to 10 the number of new players for next season.

URBANA – It seemed logical that Illinois' Angelena Mexicano would receive some postseason awards after hitting a Big Ten-record 24 home runs this softball season. The senior shortstop shattered the previous conference record of 21 and broke the Illinois record of 16 long balls, a mark she shared with teammate Shanna Diller.

But when the Big Ten released its list of postseason awards, the Big Ten's leader in home runs, runs scored (65) and total bases (160) could not be found on the first, second or third All-Big Ten teams.

CHAMPAIGN – Junior catcher Lana Armstrong has been named second-team NFCA All-Great Lakes Region. It is the first postseason honor of Armstrong's career and marks the sixth time in the last seven years Illinois has had at least one all-region representative.