With school back in session and multiple fall sports seasons kicking off, Orange and Blue News brings back "Fighting Illini Today"

In the first edition of the year, volleyball coach Chris Tamas talks season opener against Northern Illinois. The Illini are coming off of a .500 season a year ago.

Illinois volleyball opens its 2023-24 season on the road at Norther Illinois on Saturday, August 26. The Illini are looking to improve on a 15-15 record a year ago and seventh place finish in the Big Ten.

The Illini are led by senior hitter Raina Terry, a unanimous All-Big Ten selection last season after she led the team with 444 kills and a 4.07 kills per set average. Setter Brooke Mosher, an All-Big Ten freshman selection, also returns to the lineup. Mosher tallied 228 and 211 digs.

Chris Tamas enters his seventh season as head coach of the Fighting Illini volleyball program. Tamas owns an overall record of 115-67 (.632), including a 69-49 (.585) mark in the Big Ten. He has led the team to four NCAA Tournament appearances.

Illinois basketball legend Don Sunderlage will be formerly inducted into the Illini Athletics Hall of Fame on September 15. Sunderlage was one of 12 new inductees into the UI HOF that were announced by the the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics back in May.

Sunderlage won the Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball in 1951 as the Big Ten Conference MVP. Sunderlage earned Second-Team and Third-Team All-American status, and First-Team All-Big Ten honors in 1951 after leading the Illini to the Big Ten Championship and NCAA Final Four.

He also was the starting guard on the 1949 team that won the Big Ten title and advanced to Final Four. Illinois finished third in both trips to the Final Four with Sunderlage. He was a first-round NBA draft pick by the Milwaukee Hawks in 1951 but before he could start his NBA career, Sunderlage spent a required year in the military.

From 1953-55, he played in the NBA as a member of the Milwaukee Hawks and Minneapolis Lakers, representing the Hawks at the 1954 NBA All-Star Game. Sunderlage and his wife, Janice, died in a tragic car accident in 1961 at the age of 31.

Illini in the NFL as of August 23, 2023. Final cuts will be made on August 29 when NFL rosters must be reduced to 53 players.

Safety Clayton Fejedelem and defensive lineman Akeem Spence are both currently free agents. Wide receiver Malik Turner was waived by the Colts last week. Defensive lineman Jamal Woods was waiver by the Colts in early August.