Illinois volleyball player captures second Olympic medal
PARIS - Jordyn Poulter, an Illinois volleyball alum, has done it again, bringing home her second Olympic medal after helping Team USA secure silver at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Poulter, an All-American during her time with the Fighting Illini, now stands alone as the only alum to have earned multiple Olympic medals.
The journey to silver was marked by Poulter’s leadership as the starting setter, a role she also filled during Team USA’s historic gold medal run at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. That victory was a first for the program, with fellow Illini alum Michelle Bartsch-Hackley by her side and Erin Virtue contributing from the coaching staff, a role Virtue reprised in Paris.
In the gold medal match against Italy, Poulter’s 25 assists and five digs showcased her relentless effort, even as Team USA fell in straight sets (25-18, 25-20, 25-17). Throughout the tournament, Poulter started all six matches, guiding the squad to a 4-2 record with wins over powerhouses like Serbia, France, and Brazil.
This silver marks the fifth consecutive Olympic medal for Team USA women’s volleyball, continuing a streak that began with the 2008 Beijing Games. Notably, that 2008 squad included Illinois alum Jen Tamas (formerly Joines), a connection that highlights the Illini legacy within USA Volleyball. With seven overall Olympic medals, Team USA continues to hold the record for the most by any country in women’s indoor volleyball.
Illustrious - Showcases and the stories behind Illinois’ most iconic high school gyms
CHICAGO - On a quiet Saturday afternoon in January 2012, at the Oak Park-River Forest field house, a simple thought refused to leave Vincent Johnson alone.
Covering a girls basketball game for the Oak Leaves, Johnson found himself looking beyond the box score and into the bones of the building itself. The space was overwhelming in the best way. Big. Empty. Striking. The field house - massive, architectural, overwhelming in character - was alive with echoes. The gym itself demanded his attention.
How good is your next steak? Look closely at the marbling
By Casey Cartwright
A premium steak makes an impression before it even reaches the grill. Fine streaks of fat run through the muscle, creating the visual pattern known as marbling. Those delicate flecks do much more than make a steak look appealing. They influence flavor and tenderness and affect how the beef performs over high heat.
Marbling plays a major role in the experience people expect from premium beef, but understanding it takes more than looking for the fattiest steak in the case. The amount and distribution of intramuscular ...
PARIS - Jordyn Poulter, an Illinois volleyball alum, has done it again, bringing home her second Olympic medal after helping Team USA secure silver at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Poulter, an All-American during her time with the Fighting Illini, now stands alone as the only alum to have earned multiple Olympic medals.
The journey to silver was marked by Poulter’s leadership as the starting setter, a role she also filled during Team USA’s historic gold medal run at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. That victory was a first for the program, with fellow Illini alum Michelle Bartsch-Hackley by her side and Erin Virtue contributing from the coaching staff, a role Virtue reprised in Paris.
In the gold medal match against Italy, Poulter’s 25 assists and five digs showcased her relentless effort, even as Team USA fell in straight sets (25-18, 25-20, 25-17). Throughout the tournament, Poulter started all six matches, guiding the squad to a 4-2 record with wins over powerhouses like Serbia, France, and Brazil.
This silver marks the fifth consecutive Olympic medal for Team USA women’s volleyball, continuing a streak that began with the 2008 Beijing Games. Notably, that 2008 squad included Illinois alum Jen Tamas (formerly Joines), a connection that highlights the Illini legacy within USA Volleyball. With seven overall Olympic medals, Team USA continues to hold the record for the most by any country in women’s indoor volleyball.
