Nov. 3, 2006
Box Score
NORMAL, Ill. -- Sophomore middle blocker M.C. Richmond recorded her most complete outing of the season Friday night, collecting 14 kills with a season-best .650 hitting percentage and 11 digs to lead Illinois State to a convincing three-game sweep (30-16, 30-26, 30-15) over visiting Indiana State here at Redbird Arena. The Redbirds have collected sweeps in each of their last four Missouri Valley Conference victories.
With the win, Illinois State improves to 14-11 on the season with an 8-6 Valley slate. Indiana State drops to 4-21 and 1-13.
Richmond led a Redbird offensive barrage, as both Kari Staehlin (11 kills) and Katie Seyller (10 kills) also collected double-digit kill efforts in the match. Setter Erin Lindsey had another solid outing with 39 set assists and 11 digs.
The Sycamores were led by Kelli Whitaker's 10 kills.
ISU head coach Sharon Dingman was pleased with the physical presence that her team displayed.
"We got physical when we needed to tonight, and I thought that was the difference," said Dingman. "I thought M.C. (Richmond) was brilliant. She is one of the best athletes in this conference, and she certainly showed that tonight. Her athletic ability really shined out there."
Illinois State won game one running away, 30-18. The Redbirds opened the stanza on an 8-2 run, forcing the Sycamores into an early timeout. Seyller had two kills, and Lindley McDavid recorded two service aces in the stretch. The advantage was stretched to ten, 17-7, 14 possessions later in the middle of a 7-0 Redbird run. The Sycamores could get no closer than 11 points for the remainder of the frame, as Illinois State finished the game on 6-4 run after clearing its bench. The Redbirds collected five service aces and hit .387 in the game. Seyller led the charge with seven kills.
Indiana State controlled the majority of game two, but a late Redbird rally led Illinois State to the 30-26, come-from-behind win. The Sycamores broke an early 4-4 tie with a 5-2 spurt, and claimed a 9-6 lead after 15 possessions. They held the lead for the next 33 points, building as large as a five point advantage.
But Illinois State tied the match at 24-24 after back-to-back points by McDavid, and the Redbirds trailed just once more (25-24) in the match. Richmond gave Illinois State the lead for good at 27-26 with her seventh kill of the stanza, and the `Birds finished out the frame on a 5-0 run capped off by a game-clinching kill by Seyller. Richmond had a match-high eight kills on a .583 hitting percentage in the game.
"We needed to pick up our focus after Indiana State made that run in game two," Dingman said. "I told the team in the locker room that Indiana State was capable of coming out and playing as well in game three as they did in game two, and that we needed to be better skilled out there. I thought we did that in the third game."
The Redbirds will have the week off before traveling to Peoria, Ill. to face off against rival Bradley on Nov. 10. Match time from Robertson Field House is scheduled for 7 p.m.
