Her team is playing 2002 Missouri Valley Conference regular-season champion Northern Iowa and Interstate-74 rival Bradley on the road on the last weekend of the conference season with seeds 3 through 6 in next weeks State Farm-Missouri Valley Conference Tournament still unsettled. But Illinois State coach Sharon Dingman is having a great time.
I like the way the schedule closes out, said Dingman, whose Redbirds are 13-11 overall, 10-6 in the Valley heading into Fridays match at No. 8 Northern Iowa. Were looking to build momentum and we get to play the leagues No. 1 seed and then play at Bradley, where we turn around and play again the next week (in the tournament).
Dingman likes the way her team is playing, with a three-match winning streak going in which the Redbirds have won all nine games by an average of nearly 10 points. The Redbird offense, with five players hitting over .300 during the current streak, is pounding the ball at a .397 clip, raising its season mark to a 2002 high of .253.
This will be a good test for us, said Dingman. If our offense can continue on a roll like it has been, we can gather more momentum going into the tournament.
Kelly Rikli, the Redbirds sophomore setter, has directed the ISU attack and impressed Dingman.
Kelly is making great decisions, said Dingman. Our hitters are getting one-on-one hitting opportunities and executing with great force on their hits. Its important that our hitters get the kill in one-on-one situations. Theyve been succeeding in those situations.
Freshmen Emily Kabbes (.462) and Laura Doornbos (.457) have been the most efficient Redbird hitters in the last three matches. Jenny Kabbes is at .439 with a team-high 37 kills and Erin Jones is at .327 during the streak.
Northern Iowa, 26-2 overall, 15-1 in the Valley, has won 56 straight home matches in West Gym. Illinois State was the last visiting team to the Panthers in Cedar Falls, taking a four-game match Oct. 5, 1997. UNI is 142-5 at home since 1990, but three of those losses have come against Illinois State.
The Panthers only losses this season were to Stanford in the season opener and last month at Bradley. Molly OBrien, the 2001 Valley Most Valuable Player, and Valley set assists leader Jill Arganbright lead a Panther offense hitting .290 for the season.
Bradley, 17-10 overall, 10-6 in the Valley, has lost five of its last six, but last week played without top hitter Stephanie Behrns for both matches and without freshman middle Lindsey Stalter in one of them. The Braves won a four-game match Sept. 13 in Normal.
