As University of Illinois Head Coach Chris Tamas was preparing for the first round of the NCAA Volleyball tournament, he received a phone call from a recruit to confirm her commitment to work toward another tournament run in 2021 for the Illini.

Sarah Bingham, a 6-3 middle and right-side hitter, recently committed on November 28, and her decision was solidified after the Orange and Blue made a deep run to get to the NCAA Final Four. Illinois finished the season with a 32-4 record, ranked No. 3 in the final AVCA coaches poll.