Though Mike Hebert's Fighting Illini weren't the most flashy team in the nation in the 1980s, their efficient and hard-working style made them a conference powerhouse and guided the Orange and Blue to three-straight Big Ten titles and a pair of NCAA national semifinal appearances from 1986-88.

Led by a pair of All-Americans in Mary Eggers and Nancy Brookhart, the Illini put up a 97-14 record over those three seasons, including a powerful 53-1 record in conference play. They had the first two undefeated conference seasons since the East and West divisions of the Big Ten combined, going 18-0 in both 1986 and 1988.

Eggers, one of the most distinguished athletes in Big Ten history and a member of the All-Decade team, was the first conference student-athlete to earn the Honda Broderick Volleyball Player of the Year following the 1988 season. The 1985 Freshman of the Year followed up that honor by becoming the only athlete to ever earn Big Ten Player of the Year honors three times. Teammate and fellow member of the All-Decade team, Brookhart was a two-time All-American, a co-Big Ten Player of the Year with Eggers in 1987 and finished her career with 1,669 kills. Disa Johnson, who was a senior in 1987 earned a place on the All-Decade second team and made the Illini one of only two schools to have three representatives on the teams. Johnson was a two-time first-team All-Big Ten honoree and finished her career with 5,550 assists, which includes a conference record 99 assists in one match in 1986.

In 1987 and 1988, the Illini battled all the way to the national semifinals before falling to perennial powerhouse Hawaii each year. They were the first conference team to advance that far in national championship play. In addition, seven Illini were honored for their performance in the classroom as Academic All-Big Ten selections in 1987 and 1988.

Big Ten 25 Years of Women's Championships

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