Oct. 4, 2005
NORMAL, Ill. -
Erin Lindsey averaged 14.33 set assists and 4.17 digs per game while leading Illinois State to a pair of 3-0 volleyball victories over conference opponents on the road last week. For those efforts, the freshman setter from St. Louis, Mo., earned her second State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Week honor.
For the Redbirds three matches on the week, she averaged 13.64 assists per game, hit .300 with nine kills in 20 attempts and had 0.45 blocks per game. The `Birds beat Southern Illinois and Evansville on the road, each in three games, and lost a five-game match at Saint Louis. Lindsey continues to be among the nation's top 30 in assists and, with 688 for the season and 12.98 per game, is on pace to break the Illinois State single-season record for assists by a freshman.
Redbird coach Sharon Dingman believes Lindsey has earned the acclaim.
"It's nice to be recognized for her success and for our team's success," said Dingman, who is looking for her 100th coaching victory at Illinois State in Friday's match with Northern Iowa at Redbird Arena. "Erin played a huge part in our success this weekend. She set two really good matches and we just continue to see improvement."
Dingman enjoys watching her freshman setter show her skills.
"It's fun to watch her mature on the court while our team is playing," said Dingman. "She is really athletic, as our fans and media have seen all season. She keeps getting better at putting hitters in position to get kills as opposed to just running the offense."
The Redbird offense has been productive, averaging 15.74 kills per game--the highest mark for a Redbird team in the since the 30-point, rally-scored game was introduced in 2001.
The first time Lindsey earned the Valley award as top freshman she had a perfect hitting game (6-for-6) vs. Akron and averaged 15.73 set assists per game, including a career-high 65 vs. Michigan, at the Pepsi-Nike Classic in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Lindsey is No. 2 in the Valley and No. 28 in the nation in set assists per game this season.
This week's State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week was Bradley's Lindsey Stalzer, who is among the nation's leaders in kills per game and earned player of the week for the third time this season. The two honorees face each other in Sunday's 2 p.m. Bradley-Illinois State match at Redbird Arena.
Illinois State begins a stretch of four home matches in a row starting at 7 p.m. Friday against Northern Iowa, followed by Bradley, Indiana State (Oct. 15) and Notre Dame (Oct. 17), the No. 10 team in the nation.
