CHAMPAIGN  This may be Dena Schorn''s second year in college, but right now she hardly feels like a seasoned sophomore. Not on the volleyball court, anyway.

   "It''s just like being a freshman again, getting to know the team and how things run," the 6-foot-2 middle blocker said Saturday.

   Schorn is the newest member of the University of Illinois volleyball team, joining the squad this semester after transferring from Georgia Tech in January.

   And new describes just about every aspect of her life right now: new campus, new teachers and classes, new teammates and coaches, new playing system. In sum, adjustments to make at almost every turn.

   No need for an attitude adjustment, though.

   "I love it," the Lostant native said Saturday between matches of the Networkers Invitational tournament at Huff Hall. "I love being only an hour and a half away from home. It''s a great environment.

   "It''s been an easy transition because the girls are great, the coaching staff is great, and they care a lot. But it''s been hard too because school''s tough here, and volleyball is a lot different. Longer practices. Harder training. More intense practices."

   Perhaps more than any Illini, Cristy Chapman can relate to what Schorn is going through. A year ago, the junior middle blocker also had to acclimate to a new school and new teammates after transferring between semesters from Louisville.

   "Definitely the team chemistry is the biggest thing you have to get used to," Chapman said. "Just being thrown in with nine other girls last year, I didn''t know how I was going to react to them. I didn''t know if I could play the same systems they could. And, of course, you''re worried.

   "But as you go through three months of training, you''re pretty much ready to go by this tournament. I think she''s doing a great job. She''s really working hard."

   And that work is paying off, UI coach Don Hardin said.

   "Every week that goes by, her good streaks are getting longer and longer," Hardin said of the former Volleyball Magazine "Fab 50" recruit from Putnam County High School. "You can see at times the impact on the team she makes: the block and the defense. And offensively, she can crack the ball with the best of them."

   Hardin said he''s also seen a gradual transformation in Schorn''s outlook on the sport, an outlook that had taken a jolt at Georgia Tech when she realized she wasn''t happy being so far from home.

   "Transfers are hard on people, especially if you''ve gone through a situation that doesn''t work out for you," he said. "It squelches some of your confidence and enthusiasm.

   "Bit by bit, I think her enthusiasm for the game is returning. She''s excited about playing again. You can see it in her. And it lasts for longer and longer durations."

   When Hardin announced his latest recruiting class in the spring, he said he was considering redshirting Schorn next season. Besides giving Schorn more time to adjust to a new system, that move also would help balance out the numbers of scholarships available in future recruiting classes.

   That option is still being considered, Hardin said Saturday, but Schorn will have input on the matter.

   "We''re still evaluating and looking at it and the future of our program," Hardin said. "But mostly it''s where Dena''s coming from and how she feels about things. It won''t be my decision; it''ll be a mutual decision."

   Schorn hopes her performance on the court this spring and next preseason is a compelling argument against redshirting.

   "The more I''m improving, the more maybe I could work my way into the lineup somehow," the 1995 News-Gazette first-team All-Stater said. "I just want to contribute to the team any way I can."

Illini roll in tournament

   Illinois went 5-0 Saturday during the spring tournament, beating Northweste, Illinois State, Georgia, Ball State and Northern Illinois.