Illinois College Women's Volleyball

Claire Scully completed her second season as head coach of the Illinois College volleyball program during the 2025 campaign. In her second year on the Hilltop, Scully guided the Lady Blues through a competitive schedule, finishing 10–21 overall and 5–4 in Midwest Conference play. Illinois College earned five conference victories and showed continued development across the roster, with multiple players posting career-best seasons. Haylie Orton was recognized with Second Team All-Conference honors after a breakout year that included career highs in kills and service aces. Scully came to Illinois College after serving as an assistant coach at Washington College for two seasons. During her tenure with the Shorewomen, the program totaled 18 wins and earned the AVCA/USMC Team Academic Award. Scully also served as the department’s social media coordinator. Prior to Washington College, Scully was an assistant coach at William Paterson University in 2021, helping lead the team to an NJAC playoff appearance while mentoring multiple conference weekly award winners. Scully brings extensive coaching experience at the high school and club levels, having served as head coach at Mount Saint Dominic Academy (2019–21), Golda OCH Academy (2017–18), and Atlantic Valley Volleyball Club (2018–21). She also coached with Phoenix Volleyball NJ from 2013–18 and worked as a site director for GEVA High Performance Volleyball from 2017–21. As a student-athlete, Scully was a four-year member of the volleyball team at Mount Saint Mary College and earned her bachelor’s degree in history in 2017.

Mark Grounds is in his second season as the head flag football coach at Illinois College. Grounds, who was named the first head coach in program history in 2025, guided the Lady Blues to a 4-4 season in the initial year of competition. Highlighting the season was a 26-12 win over Benedictine in the program’s first game at Halas Hall, the practice home of the Chicago Bears, and a 28-26 win over North Park in the program’s initial home game at England Stadium. A distinguished alum of IC and a respected leader in the Jacksonville community, Grounds brings a wealth of experience, passion, and commitment to this historic new chapter in IC Athletics. While starting the IC program, Grounds will continue to perform his current roles within the Jacksonville School District, which include serving as the head coach of the football program at Jacksonville High School. Mark’s unique position will enable him to maintain a strong presence and influence at the high school level, which will help him build the foundation for a competitive and inspiring flag football program at IC. “We are thrilled to have Mark back to the Hilltop,” said Roman. “His dedication to student-athletes, his deep roots in the Jacksonville community, and his years of experience in building successful football programs make him the perfect leader to launch our women’s flag football team.” “Illinois College helped shape who I am as a coach and a person,” said Grounds. “I’m honored to coach the women’s flag football program and will continue to develop a culture of excellence, teamwork, and opportunity for the student-athletes who will be the foundation of this exciting beginning.” The addition of flag football reflects IC’s ongoing commitment to expanding opportunities for female student-athletes and growing emerging sports at the collegiate level.  

Baum brings a wealth of volleyball coaching and playing experience to the Lady Blues. He has spent the past eight years as a member of the coaching staff at the Illini United Volleyball Club. While working with the club, he also coached at the collegiate level, serving as an assistant at Augustana College from 2017-21. Dillans resume also includes coaching stints at the prep level at Warrensburg-Latham and Mt. Zion high schools. As a player, Baum was a member of the Augustana mens varsity volleyball team from 2017-21.

Teddy Gedville joined the Illinois College volleyball staff as an assistant coach ahead of the 2026 season. Gedville comes to the Hilltop after serving as an assistant coach for both the women’s and men’s volleyball programs at North Park University from 2022–26. In that role, he was involved in all aspects of the program, including practice planning, player development, scouting, and match preparation. He also contributed to the women’s program earning a berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament. During his time at North Park, Gedville specialized in position-specific training and worked closely with setters who earned multiple weekly conference honors. He also played a key role in film breakdown, statistical tracking, and in-game strategy adjustments. In addition to his collegiate experience, Gedville has coached at the club level with LCVC, focusing on technical skill development, decision-making, and overall court awareness. He also spent time as a statistician, assisting coaching staffs with performance analysis across multiple sports. Gedville was a member of the North Park men’s volleyball team and brings over a decade of competitive playing experience. He is a certified personal trainer and holds First Aid and CPR certifications. A native of Evanston, Illinois, Gedville earned his Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from North Park University in 2025.