Abby Lewis remembers two things from last years Illinois State at Creighton volleyball match: it took a long time and we won.
Her memory is accurate, if incomplete. She had 15 kills and 20 digs as the Redbirds swept the Bluejays three games to none, but the match took over two hours to play and the scores were 15-10, 19-17, 15-11. The second game took 57 minutes by itself.
It wont surprise the Redbird senior right-side hitter if Fridays 7 p.m. match-up at Omaha South High School takes even longer. Its the Missouri Valley Conference opener for ISU, 4-3, while Creighton is 2-6 overall and 1-1 in the Valley.
Creighton is a very good defensive team. They keep the ball in play, said Lewis, who had nine kills and 10 digs in the first game of that 2000 marathon vs. Creighton. We have to go in expecting that. But were a lot better defensive team than we were last year, so we expect to be ready for that kind of game.
The Jays are picked to finish second in the preseason Valley coaches poll--two slots above ISU. That doesnt faze Lewis.
We just want to get the Valley season started with a win, said Lewis. It (the poll) doesnt really have anything to do with us.
ISU topped Marquette in four games on Tuesday in a match scheduled at the last minute for both teams. The Tuesday win over Marquette provided more than Redbird coach
Sharon Dingman thought it might.
When we scheduled it, we just wanted to play, said Dingman. Our players wanted to get back on the court. But the match told us more than we expected about our team. We didnt play very well the first two games, but we turned things around and played very well the last two games and won the match. Thats something we hadnt done.
Dingman believes Creighton coach Howard Wallace has weapons to be respected in senior outside hitters Melissa Walsh and Erin Swanson. Senior setter Kailey Reyes runs an improved Creighton attack which includes size from 6-2 junior Lisa Meekins and 6-3 freshman Ashley Williams.
Howard has Walsh and Swanson--two very good players--and he has recruited well around them, said Dingman. Creighton is always a battle. We shouldnt expect anything else.
Like the Redbirds, Creightons overall record has to be viewed in light of the schedule played. Creightons losses have included matches against No. 19 Santa Clara and No. 21 Cal-Santa Barbara, along with future ISU non-conference opponents DePaul and Northern Illinois.
ISU continues its road trip at Drake (2-6, 0-2) at 7 p.m. Saturday.
