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Illinois State University Redbird Women's Volleyball hosted a 4 team volleyball this past weekend.  Participating visiting teams were #7 ranked Marquette Golden Eagles, #7 ranked University or Illinois Fighting Illini and the Knights from the University of Central Florida.  Events kicked off on Friday evening with the Knights and Golden Eagles followed by ISU v the Illini.  Both those matches went 4 sets with Golden Eagles defeating the Knights and ISU upsetting the Illini! On Saturday UCF took on the Illini in a morning match.  The Illini fell once again moving their record in the tournament to 0-2 and setting UCF's record to 1-1.  The evening matchups included a 5:30 match between UCF and Illinois State and the nightcap was Marquette and the Illini.  Both matches went 5 sets, both thrillers with ISU taking the win over UCF and the Illini besting Marquette. Sunday afternoon, the final match between Marquette and Illinois State was nothing short of epic...

For the first time since 2006, the Missouri Valley Conference Women's Volleyball Tournament is being held at Redbird Arena on the campus of Illinois State University in Normal Illinois.  Participating teams are the Drake Bulldogs, Indiana State Sycamores, Valparaiso Crusaders, Illinois State Redbirds, Missouri State Bears and Northern Iowa Panthers.  The Bears pulled in the #1 ranking followed by the Panthers as #2.  Both teams had the first round off.  The Redbirds ranked 3rd.  Surviving the 1st round were the Sycamores and the Redbirds.  Round two will pit the Sycamores against the Bears and the Redbirds against the Panthers. 

Best Look Magazine, Volume 4 Issue 4, November 2015 By Alan Look in Best Look Magazine 32 pages, published 11/10/2015 Best Look Magazine, Volume 4 Issue 4, November 2015 The 2015 November Issue of Best Look Magazine has arrived. The front cover features a High Dynamic Range image of the Normal Theater in Normal taken during the Sugar Creek Arts Festival in July.  The rear cover is a shot of the memorial at Illinois State University that remembers the 7- Aaron Leech, Torrey Ward, Scott Bittner, Jason Jones, Andrew Butler, Terry Stralow and Thomas Hileman who lost their lives in a plane crash on their way home from the NCAA basketball tournament in April.  Other features in this issue - a wrap up of the Normal CornBelters winning season, McLean County Antique Automobile Associations annual car show, Sugar Creek Arts Festival, a preview of the S...

On Tuesday September 22, the Vikings from Augustana pried a seesaw volleyball match from the Titans.  The match went 5 sets.  The 4th set went to a two point overrun in order for the Vikings to take it.  They also got the best in the 1st and last sets.  The Titans took the 2nd and 3rd sets, both by the score of 25-21.  Nicole Morrissey let the Vikings with 20 kills while Kyleigh Block had 23 for the Titans.  Also for the Vikings were Kylie Siebert with 27 digs and Hannah Lindaman with 23 assists.  Leading those categories for the Titans were Mary Rankin with 44 digs and Colleen Rynne with 33 assists.  The Titans now have a record of 10-3 overall and are 0-1 in the conference. See Alan Look Photography for some great photos and the November issue of Best Look Magazine for more coverage.  - Chimper 20150922 Augustana Vikings at Illinois Wesleyan Titans volleyball photos - Images by Alan Look

On Friday October 17th, the Panthers of Northern Iowa arrived in Normal Illinois tied for 1st place in the Missouri Valley Conference with the ISU Redbirds in Women's Volleyball.  They left that night is 2nd.  The Redbirds came out hot taking the first, third and fourth sets of the match and also mounted a very good recovery comeback in the second set but falling just short.  It was a match that lived up to all the hype and also pulled in a good Friday evening crowd to Redbird Arena. Look for more coverage in the Normalite Newspapers and in  Best Look Magazine , both with photos from the  Best Look in Bloomington Normal Sports Photography - Alan Look Photography . 20141017 Northern Iowa Panthers at Illinois State Redbirds Women's Volleyball photos - Images by Alan Look -chimper

If you aren't from near here or been around very long, Normal Illinois has it's very own football Bowl game.  It's held every season when Normal Community Ironmen play the Normal Community West Wildcats.  The game travels each year to the school that didn't have it the year before.  It's the one game that can really fill the stands.  Seems all the students and a good number of other followers of each team arrive to see who will take home the chili! Chili Bowl Photo Gallery This weekend was also the Intercity Volleyball tournament held at Normal West.  Central Catholic and Normal West share the title this year.  It's 3/4's of a day of volleyball and usually in September.  Put it on you calendar for next year. Intercity Volleyball Photo Gallery Football opened for the season in Tucci Stadium on Wilder Field for the Illinois Wesleyan Titans.  The trumped the Flying Dutchmen of Hope College.  Wilder Field is one of the oldest stadiums i...

Some weeks just don't seem to have enough days and the days, not enough hours. It's the 4th week of football season.  On the high school side, Normal Community West remains undefeated as does University High.  The University High v Prairie Central Hawks was pretty much a blow out.  I can't remember ever seeing a score of 57-6 at the half mark.  It's too bad for the Hawks, a couple less misqueues would have cut about 14 points off that figure.  It's just a matter of polish.  For the Pioneers, it's take care of the second half of the season and the results are limitless. On the 21st of September, the Redbirds finally opened at home in the renovated Hancock Stadium.  Even if you don't plan on attending a game there, drive by and take a look at the complex.  It really compliments that campus and town.  My favorite view and I need to stop there and grab a picture is from the parking lot by the renovated Duffy Bass baseball field. The Barker Cl...

Deer Creek Mackinaws Chiefs were one of the final four in the Class 2A completion.  On Friday, they went the distance with the Rams of Riverdale (Port Bryon).  The Rams took the first set pretty easily.  The second set turned after the first few points and the passion and play came to the Chiefs.  They took the second set and didn’t let up till they finished off on top at the end of the third set to take the match 2 sets to one. Alan Look Photography gallery Be sure to check out Best Look Magazine .   This event won't publish till February, but the current edition has lots of great things in it too.

The Volleyball Redbirds cleaned up the Braves from Bradley on Saturday night in 4 sets.  Earlier in the day, the University High School Pioneers zipped the Eureka Hornets in Hancock Stadium.  I think I shot a years worth of touchdowns in that game in just over a half of shooting. Pictures from both competitions will be at Alan Look Photography before Tuesday.  Hope you enjoy the viewing. If you haven't already, be sure to take a look and pick up your copy of Best Look Magazine - Every Picture has a Story, Every Story has a Picture.  Printed Quarterly by Alan Look Photography

It was the weekend for home openers of Redbird Football and Redbird Volleyball at Illinois State University this Labor Day weekend.  The festivities started off with Volleyball's Redbird Classic beginning on Friday in Redbird Arena.  The Arena has a new floor this year.  The weekend for these two sports also ended there with Illinois State Volleyball Redbirds losing to the Oregon State Beavers in 5 sets.  On a positive note, the temps in the arena were very reasonable this year compared to several of the past seasons. Illinois State Redbird  v Oregon State Beavers Volleyball photos The Football Redbirds encountered the Flyers of Dayton.  The Redbirds handily won the matchup.  Rains from the remnants of Isaac were a feature of the game as it poured during much of the game.  Rainfall totals in some sections of Bloomington - Normal were reported at over 5 inches from the start of the precipitation on Friday through 8 am on Sunday.  More rain...

The season has started and in non-conference matches at home the Illinois State Womens volleyball team in 2 wins ans 0 losses. The fanbase could be a little better this season, but I expect it will improve as they move to MVC play. Just to wet your appetite here are 2 galleries to let you see what you have missed. 20110830 Southern IL-e v Illinois State - Images by Alan Look 20110907 Western Illinois v Illinois State - Images by Alan Look Be sure to check out the Normaite's website at www.normalite.com, pick up a printed copy or sign up for a mailed subscription.

In 1961 when I first moved to Heyworth, the Heyworth Star was a thriving weekly newspaper. I can't tell you the whole history of the paper, but it was then run by Glen Beverage and his son Jim. I also don't remember a lot about Glen except that he always had a smile when I saw him. Jim lived 3 doors away from us on Poplar St. with his wife Nancy who taught school in a near by community and Sonja their girl who was the same age as I. Jim was a newspaper man through and through. Always looking for the scoop. Always at the local sports events. Always wearing a dress hat, carrying a camera, tablet and pen and when it was cold, a trench styled overcoat. He was inquisitive and full of common sense. He also liked to show off his shop to any youngster that showed an interest. More than once I walked in unannounced and he would appear in the front office and offer a quick tour. Didn't matter how busy he was, he always had time for an interested youth. In those days it was t...

This weekend I decided to follow some more Redbird Volleyball. It was early September since I had seen the Redbirds play and The Bradley Braves and Northern Iowa Panthers were in town. Friday night, a larger than I expected crowd filtered into Redbird Arena. Bradley is always a favorite since they are a mere 40 miles away making them a rival at any sport. Their volleyball team has had some challenges the last few years, this year being no exception. A quick scan of the roster shows a lot of their on court staff at 5'5" or less. Not that shorter people can't play great volleyball, but it does leave the front line a bit challenged. Still the Braves managed to at least show that they were on the court. The Redbirds took the match in 3 sets. Kasey Mollerus received an award before play started for breaking the Redbirds record for most digs. She truly is one of the best I've seen. Rarely is she faked out by an opponent or out of position. Congrats Kasey! 20091009 ...

The weekends have certainly been busy in Bloomington, Normal and McLean County with some classic matchups. Last weekend, Normal Community entertained Normal Community West on the gridiron. It never seems to matter who is ranked where when any of the intercity teams meet one of the others, this game was no different. Most gave NCHS Ironmen the nod, and they did eventually win over the Wildcats of NCWHS. The Cats fought had and kept the score tied till past the halfway point. Not the run away game that some expected. 20090925 NCWHS v NCHS - Images by Alan Look On Saturday there was so much going on something had to be left out. The day started at intercity vollyball. Several good match ups with no clear winner. The torunament ended up with 3 teams 3 and 1. I came away thinking that Central Catholic had some of the best fundamentals, but the worst luck. They seemed to miss the critical poinst when needed the most. Several galleries from the intercity matches. Go here: http://...

Last night was more volleyball. The Cougars of SIU-E were sent packing in 3 sets by the local ISU Redbirds. Some of the action is captured below. 20090915 SIU-E v Illinois State - Images by Alan Look

Volleyball season has started. I spent most of my time this weekend shooting the Redbird Classic - a 3 session (6 matches) affair between the Golden Eagles of Oral Roberts, the Runnin' Bulldogs of Gardner Webb, the Mavericks of University of Texas - Arlington, and the host school Redbirds of Illinois State. It's always difficult for me to tell who exactly won, especially this year since I only made it to the Friday and Saturday evening Redbird games. Fridays was a little lopsided with the Redbirds sweeping the Runnin' Bulldogs in 3 sets and in fairly handy fashion. The Saturday afternoon game I heard most online and the Redbirds and Mavericks went 4 sets and the Redbirds came away on top. Saturday evening the 'birds fell to the Golden Eagles in 4 sets. The birds took the 1st set on Saturday evening before falling flat on their feet the last 3, often passing on in bound balls they thought were out thus giving the points to the GE's. 2009 Redbird Volleyball Clas...

August a month that is normally one of the most hated in central Illinois for it's terribly hot and humid weather has finally arrived. But wait! There is some redeeming qualities for the month. School starts. After the hustle and bustle the first 2 weeks, it's off to the books and classrooms for the anxious and sometimes frustrating tots, leaving the stay at home moms time to meet at the local coffee shops to muse about the upcoming school year, summers vacation, and the start of the holiday season (maybe a little early to mention that)without the whining and crying of all the teens and little ones. For all the working class, it's time to concentrate on those upcoming projects and other items that have been neglected during the summer when family vacations, a few rounds of golf or tennis matches were sprinkled in between the days taken off for home repairs and lawn work. My student is back to college. It's been good to have him home, but it's always good to ge...