Sept. 8, 2006
Final Stats
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Overcoming another gut-wrenching, adverse game situation, Illinois State's volleyball team improved to 3-1 in five-game affairs Friday afternoon, defeating Florida A&M, 3-2, here at the O'Connell Center in the first-round of the Campus USA Credit Union Classic.
With the win, the Redbirds even their season record at 4-4, while Florida A&M falls to 0-5.
Junior middle blocker Kari Staehlin carried the `Birds offensively, recording a career-high 24 kills while hitting a match-best .417. Sophomore setter Erin Lindsey collected 62 assists while never exiting the match; teammate M.C. Richmond had 18 kills, while senior Manoela Vieira DaCunha tallied a season-high 11 kills. Defensively, freshman Kasey Mollerus led the Redbirds with 30 digs, just two off her individual career-high. Her teammate Mary McGinnis had her best effort of the season, playing in four games with five kills and nine digs.
"I thought Kari [Staehlin] was really the difference tonight, and that's what we need out of her," said head coach Sharon Dingman. "I challenged her during one of our timeouts, and she really responded. Her teammates followed that lead."
FAMU was led by Maria Andonova and Marrita Crockett, who combined for 56 kills in the setback.
The `Birds fell behind 2-0 in the match for the second time this season, and had to use a gritty effort in game three to extend the match to five games.
The Redbirds led for the majority of game one, but FAMU tallied a late surge to collect the 32-30 victory. Both teams traded points over the first 20 possessions, before the Rattlers capitalized on a 6-1 run to claim a 16-11 lead. Dingman called a timeout, and the `Birds responded with a 6-0 run of their own behind the serving of Lindsey, and took an 18-17 lead. There were three more ties in the game, but the Rattlers claimed the lead at 31-30. After the Redbirds faced game point at 29-28, FAMU forced two ISU attack errors, and won the stanza on an assisted block by Andova and Zaira Manzo. Richmond recorded five kills for the `Birds in the frame, while Crockett countered with four kills for FAMU. Illinois State had more kills (19-15) and digs (27-21) than the Rattlers in the stanza, but was out hit, .192 to .185.
Florida A&M never trailed in game two, as they coasted to the 30-21 win. The Rattlers built a 17-11 lead mid-way through the stanza, and collected six-point leads on three more occasions. FAMU clinched game point at 29-20 after a service ace by Andonova. Kari Staehlin fought off the first game point with a kill, but the Rattlers clinched the 2-0 lead in the best of five with Andonova's eighth kill.
The Redbirds answered with a 30-25 victory in game three. FAMU again jumped out to the early lead, and owned an 11-7 lead after 18 possessions. But Illinois State chipped away at the lead over the next 17 points, and trimmed the edge to 18-16. The `Birds tied the match for the first time in the frame 12 points later after a Richmond kill. They clinched the win behind the serving of ISU senior defensive specialist Jessie Janik seven points later. Richmond and Staehlin each recorded a kill in the stretch to propel the Redbirds to victory.
Game four was a tightly contested frame for the first 15 points, before the `Birds pulled away with junior Kristin Dziubla at the service line. She led ISU on a 5-0 spurt that gave them a 17-12 lead; she was aided by two kills by Staehlin in the surge. The Redbirds built as many as an eight point lead in the ensuing stretch, and closed out the 30-23 win with a kill by McGinnis to force a decisive game five.
The Redbirds trailed just once in the deciding stanza at 1-0. After claiming the 6-4 lead, Illinois State went on a commanding 5-0 run to take the 11-4 lead, and never looked back. Crocket collected a kill to pull within six, 11-5, but
Richmond and McGinnis closed the door with kills to claim the 15-5 win, the `Birds' largest margin of victory in a game five situation this season.
"One of the things we told the team in between games four and five was that it was our time to deliver the knockout, because we felt we were better conditioned and were deeper," Dingman said. "I think our physical condition made a huge difference in game five, especially with us winning that game as easily as we did."
