Sept. 29, 2005
Normal, Ill. -
Sharon Dingman thinks her Illinois State volleyball team is better than its 6-6 record so far. The Redbirds will have a chance to start proving that during a two-match Missouri Valley Conference road trip to Southern Illinois and Evansville this weekend.
The Redbirds, 2-2 in the Missouri Valley Conference, face SIU, 4-8 overall, 1-2 in the Valley at 7 p.m. Friday at Davies Gym. Twenty-four hours later, ISU plays Evansville, 5-12, 0-3 in the Valley, at Carson Center.
"We're better than our record says we are," said Dingman. "We compete harder than a .500 team, and we're looking forward to having a chance to show that, on the road, this weekend."
Illinois State was just five points away from a four-game win Tuesday at Saint Louis when a substitution error and a couple of net violations let the Billikins back into the match. SLU took advantage of Redbird hitting errors to win game five despite four Redbird players reaching double-figure kills behind Emily Kabbes' season-high 18.
Kabbes needs just two kills at Southern Illinois to reach 1,000 for her career at Illinois State. She would be the 15th Redbird to reach 1,000 kills--including current teammate Laura Doornbos and Kabbes' sister, current assistant coach Jenny Fuente. The senior middle blocker has been on a roll lately, averaging 3.27 kills per game and hitting .451 over her last four matches.
The Redbirds have been hit with injuries recently. Sophomore middle blocker Kari Staehlin missed two matches with a toe injury and junior outside hitter Manoela Vieira DaCunha is out of action indefinitely because of a back problem. Sophomore middle Kristin Dziubla missed Tuesday's five-game loss at Saint Louis after twisting an ankle in warm-ups.
But the `Birds have a good track record against the Salukis and the Aces. Illinois State has won the last 27 straight regular-season matches from the Salukis in a streak dating back to 1990. SIU did beat the `Birds in the 2002 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. Since Evansville arrived in the Valley in 1995, Illinois State has won all 22 matches with the Aces.
The Redbirds are still looking for their first `away' win. They are 1-1 on neutral courts and 5-1 at home, but 0-4 on the opposition's home floor.
"It gets tougher and tougher to win on the road," said Dingman, whose Redbirds have won 26 of their last 28 at Redbird Arena. "Teams want to defend their home court, just like we do in Redbird Arena. Everybody is dangerous on their own court."
After the road trip, Illinois State comes home for four in a row against Northern Iowa (Oct. 7), Bradley (Oct. 9), Indiana State (Oct. 15) and Notre Dame (Oct. 17), the No. 10 team in the nation.
