Aug. 29, 2006
Box Score
NORMAL, Ill. - Led by a much-improved serving performance and a season-best 11 team blocks, Illinois State's volleyball team secured its first victory of the 2006 campaign with a 3-1 win over intrastate rival Northern Illinois in front of 1,502 fans here at Redbird Arena Tuesday night.
With the win, Illinois State moves to 1-3 on the season, while the Huskies even their season slate at 2-2.
Offensively, Illinois State was again led by sophomore middle blocker M.C. Richmond, who collected 14 kills while hitting .281. Junior middle Kari Staehlin had 11 kills, while Kristin Dziubla had a season-best nine terminations. Senior outside hitter Manoela Vieira DaCunha had a key performance off the bench, tallying a team-best .294 hitting percentage to go along with six kills.
"We deserved this win," said head coach Sharon Dingman. "For as hard as we fought against Winthrop last Saturday and as gritty as we performed in the early stages of this match, this was a win our team really deserved to get. It's definitely nice to be on the winning end for the first time this season."
The Huskies jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, but Illinois State stormed back to tie the match at 4-4. Northern Illinois would lead just one more time in the frame at 5-4. Behind the serving of setter Erin Lindsey, the Redbirds rolled off five consecutive points to claim a 10-7 lead. The advantage was extended to 18-9 ten possessions later, as Lindley McDavid led the `Birds to four consecutive point tallies.
Trailing by six following a timeout, NIU charged back with pull within 18-15 behind the serving of Jodi Hardwick. But Illinois State jumped ahead by seven points nine points later on back-to-back kills by Staehlin. The Huskies would get no closer than six points for the remainder of the stanza, and the Redbirds went up 1-0 in the best-of-five by a score of 30-22, their largest margin of victory of the season. Richmond had five kills in the game, while Staehlin and Dziubla each tallied three terminations.
Illinois State never trailed in game two, and coasted to a 30-24 victory. They jumped out to a 7-3 lead, and did not let the Huskies get any closer than four points for the rest of the frame. After a kill by Lindsey that capped off five consecutive Redbird points, NIU head coach Ray Gooden called timeout with his team trailing, 16-8. Illinois State's largest lead in the game was nine points (19-10). After NIU cut the lead to five points at 29-24, McDavid gave the Redbirds the win with her third kill of the match. All four of Illinois State's freshmen played in the frame with Katie Seyller recording her first career kill late in the contest.
Game three was much more tightly contested, and the Huskies emerged with the 30-28 win. The Redbirds again tallied an early advantage, but the score was tied at 5-5 after ten possessions. ISU opened up an 11-6 lead seven points later led by the serving of Staehlin. Lindsey had a kill, while Staehlin collected an ace in the stretch. The Redbirds held the lead for the ensuing 21 points before NIU claimed its first lead at 21-20 on a kill by Katie Walsh. Illinois State regained the lead and led 25-23 after back-to-back kills by Mary McGinnis and Staehlin. But NIU claimed the following three points, as Kate McCullagh collected back-to-back terminations. The Huskies claimed game point at 29-27, and Laura Baetzel capped off the come-from-behind win with a kill.
"I thought Northern started to pass a lot better in game three," said Dingman. "They got the ball to Kate McCullagh more, and she had some pretty impressive kills. But I thought we showed some composure to bounce back from that game and play much better in game four."
Illinois State came out firing in the fourth game, jumping out to an 8-0 lead behind the serving of DaCunha. But after a side out, the Huskies started a surge of their own, and claimed four consecutive points to pull within 8-4. The `Birds extended their lead back to six points, 13-7, after a kill by DaCunha. Northern Illinois answered 17 possessions later, capitalizing on a 6-0 run to take its first lead, 19-18.
The Redbirds immediately countered by collecting three consecutive points to claim a 24-21 lead. Richmond had two key kills in the stretch. The lead was extended to 28-22 on a kill by Dziubla, and the `Birds forced game point at 29-24. DaCunha clinched the win with a kill from Lindsey, who finished with 49 assists.
"It's not always easy coming off the bench, but when I get my chance, I know it's all about execution," said DaCunha. "I saw what we were struggling with in game three, and was able to help our team make adjustments when my number was called."
