Oct. 17, 2006
Final Stats 
VALPARAISO, Ind. - When they needed it in the worst way, the Redbirds turned to one of their senior leaders to propel them to a much-needed road victory. Tallying the start on the outside, fifth-year senior reserve Jessie Janik recorded a career-high 11 kills to go along with 10 digs in a five-game (26-30, 33-31, 17-30, 30-26, 15-11), come-from-behind win over three-time NCAA Tournament participant Valparaiso in a non-conference match here at the Athletics-Recreation Center.
With the win, the Redbirds improve to 10-10 on the season. Valparaiso drops to 14-8 overall.
The Redbirds put four players in double figures led by Kari Staehlin's 18 kills. M.C. Richmond had 15 kills, while Lindley McDavid tallied 12 kills to go with Janik's 11. Kasey Mollerus had 22 digs to pace the Redbird defensive effort. Setter Erin Lindsey also had a career night, recording 56 set assists and a career-best eight kills on a team-best .400 hitting percentage.
Valparaiso also put four players in double figures, led by Angie Porche's 20 kills. Allison Sears and Nicole Schulz each collected 19 kills in the setback.
"This was a huge win for us, because Valparaiso is a tough team to play, and they threw so much at us," said head coach Sharon Dingman. "But I thought our performance in the fifth game really made the difference. We came out and made an attempt to kill the ball, and it paid off.
"I couldn't be any prouder of Jessie Janik. I told her on the bus on the way here that she would get the start at outside hitter, and she responded with an incredible performance."
Valparaiso emerged victorious in a back-and-forth game one battle, 30-26. Illinois State jumped out to a 3-0 lead, but the Crusaders answered with a 3-0 spurt to tie the match at 3-3. The Redbirds reclaimed the lead and held it for the ensuing 19 points before the Crusaders tied the match at 13-13 following a kill by Porche. Valparaiso claimed the advantage for 15 of the next 16 possessions before a kill by Staehlin and a Crusader hitting error gave the `Birds a 22-21 lead. Eight points later, ISU was forced into its first timeout following trailing by a score of 26-25. Illinois State never regained the advantage, and Valparaiso capped off the win with back-to-back kills by Val Bollenbacher. The Redbirds hit .386 in the game, and were led by Staehlin's six kills. The Crusaders countered with a .375 hitting percentage, and Porche led the way with six kills.
The Redbirds fought off a late rally by the Crusaders to post a 33-31 game two win. Illinois State broke a 3-3 tie by capitalizing on back-to-back Valpo errors and claimed a 5-3 edge. They were in complete control for the ensuing 35 possessions, allowing the Crusaders to tie the game just once (5-5). The Redbirds built as large as a six-point lead in the stretch. But Valpo battled back, and took a 27-26 lead following a Porche kill. ISU tied the game three times in the ensuing six points, and forced game point at 30-28 after Staehlin's ninth kill. But Valpo answered with a 2-0 spurt to force their first game point after a service ace by Sara Hughes. Back-to-back kills by Staehlin and McDavid gave the Redbirds a 31-30 lead, and they capped off the win with an ace by Staehlin.
The Crusaders led from wire-to-wire in game three, building as large as a 14-point lead en route to the 30-17 victory. Valparaiso started out the frame with three consecutive kills, and eventually jumped out to the 8-2 advantage. The `Birds pulled within four points three times in the ensuing 10 points, but Valparaiso stretched their lead to double-digits ten 10 points later and never looked back. Schultz had eight kills in the game to lead the Crusaders. The `Birds hit .049 in the game.
Illinois State responded by claiming the 6-5 lead in the early stages of game four, an advantage they would hold for more than 30 points. After Jessie Fox's eighth kill, the Crusaders tied the game at 21-21, but the Redbirds quickly regained the edge, and after a 3-0 spurt, led by three, 25-22. McDavid had a kill and an assisted block in the stretch. Illinois State finished the game on a 6-4 run, with Janik providing the game-winning kill, her eighth of the match. Richmond and McDavid each claimed recorded four kills in the game to lead a .200 team hitting mark.
The Redbirds used a gritty effort in the late stages of the decisive game five to clinch the win. Both teams traded points for the first 10 possessions before the Crusaders took a 7-5 lead following an ISU hitting error and a kill by Schulz. Following a timeout, the Redbirds won back-to-back points to tie the game at 7-7. After the switching of sides, the Crusaders owned the slim 8-7 advantage. Illinois State claimed seven of the 11 ensuing points, and forced game point at 14-11 following an attack error by Valpo. Following a Crusader timeout, the Redbirds capped off the victory after an assisted block by Seyller and McDavid.
The Redbirds will host Valley foes Southern Illinois (Oct. 20) and Evansville (Oct. 22) this weekend at Redbird Arena.
