NOTE: NO VOLLEYBALL PORTION OF THE WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE TUESDAY ... THE BIRDS WILL BE TRAVELING TO ST. LOUIS
The Illinois State University volleyball team takes a six-match winning streak fueled by Kelly Riklis setting and on-court leadership to Saint Louis University for a 7 p.m. match against the Billikens, who have won four in a row and feature Aida Antanaviciute, one of the nations leaders in kills per game.
Antanaviciute, a Lithuanian-born junior college transfer, averages 6.24 kills per game. Redbird coach Sharon Dingman respects the offensive work of the 8-7 Bills, who average 15.24 kills per game as a team.
They have very good middles and well have our hands full, said Dingman, whose Redbirds are 9-2, 4-0 atop the Missouri Valley Conference standings. They set (Antanaviciute) a lot. Well have to play defense at a higher level against them.
Rikli and company are fresh from a five-game victory over preseason Missouri Valley Conference co-favorite Northern Iowa before 3,383, the eighth-largest volleyball crowd in Redbird Arena history. The Missouri Valley Conference leader in set assists with 12.40 per game, Rikli also has the best hitting percentage (.357) of any of the leagues setters. Indiana States Kerri Byrum is the only setter in the league with more kills per game than Riklis 1.27.
Dingman believes her senior setter is making a big difference for the team.
Kellys leadership has been great, said Dingman. We are playing focused and had a great game plan.
A Redbird victory would give the Birds a 10-2 record in September, their best start since the 1992 team went 11-2 in September on the way to a 30-4 record. This years fast start carries forward from last years 14-4 finish in October and November to make the Redbirds 23-6 since last Oct. 1. Dingman is enjoying the progress.
I said all along we had a team (last year) that was going through a maturation process against a tough early schedule, said Dingman. People (outside the team) were panicked, but the players and staff never quit working hard. The success came from hard work and from players like Kelly who never stopped believing.
The Redbirds return home after facing Saint Louis to play a conference match with Indiana State at 7 p.m. Friday. At 2 p.m. Saturday, Indiana State will play Pittsburgh in Redbird Arena. Then, the Birds play Pitt, co-Big East Conference champions with Notre Dame in 2003, at 1 p.m. Sunday.
