Nov. 23, 2007
Final Stats
Illinois State freshman outside hitter Mallory Leggett recorded a double-double with a career-high 24 kills and 17 digs to lead fifth-seeded Illinois State (21-10) to a five-game win (30-27, 32-30, 19-30, 27-30 and 15-13) over No. 22 and top-seeded Wichita State in the semifinals of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Volleyball Tournament at Hammons Student Center Friday night. With the win, the Redbirds advance to Saturday's championship match, and will play the winner of the No. 2 Northern Iowa/No. 3 Creighton semifinal match (in progress) with the victor earning the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
Illinois State hasn't reached the championship of the Valley Tournament since the 2000 campaign, when the Redbirds dropped a four-game decision to No. 1 seeded and 23rd ranked Northern Iowa at Terre Haute, Ind. It was also the Redbirds' first win over a ranked opponent since the defeating No. 8 UNI in the final weekend of regular season play during the 2003 season.
ISU compiled 153 digs in the match, breaking ISU's all-time single-match standard (146; Oct. 14, 1989 at Central Michigan) and the MVC Tournament record (128; Missouri State vs. UNI, Nov. 22, 1986). The combined 290 digs between the Redbirds and Wichita State also broke the Valley's combined single-match digs record (210; UNI vs. Missouri State, Nov. 18, 1989).
Kari Staehlin (22 kills), M.C. Richmond (16) and Peggy Riessen (12) joined Leggett with double-digit kills. First-team All-MVC setter Erin Lindsey had her fourth 60+ assist outing of the season, tallying 62 assists to go along with a career-best 31 digs. In all, six Redbirds recorded double-digit dig efforts, led by Kasey Mollerus' career-high 34.
Wichita State was led by first-team All-MVC outside hitter Emily Stockman, who contributed 24 kills and 30 digs. Valley Player of the Year Sara Lungren added a double-double with 13 kills and 15 digs; Angela Jakubov had 11 kills on a match-best .346 hitting percentage and first-team All-Valley setter Abby Harsh provided 60 set assists. Kelly Broussard's 34 digs led a fivesome of Shockers in double figures.
"The one thing we wrote on the board in our pre-game locker room meeting was `heart,' said head coach Sharon Dingman. "I can't say enough because our players have bought into everything we have been challenging them with over this great streak we are currently in. The players have had a blast playing volleyball lately, and that is pretty special.
"Our defense was unbelievable today. I would have never believed going into this match that we would out-kill Wichita State, but we did exactly that, along with out-digging them. Again, defense comes down to effort and heart, and we showed a lot of that (tonight)."
Leggett recorded a dominating effort in game one, tallying 11 kills on a .647 hitting percentage to lead an efficient .333 team hitting clip. There were a combined 24 ties and lead changes in the first 50 points before ISU went on a 3-0 spurt to claim a 28-25 lead. Richmond had two kills in the stretch. The Shockers fought off two game points, but Melissa Granville's ensuing serve went long, and ISU secured the 30-27 win.
Illinois State won its second overtime game of the season in the second frame, 32-30. The Shockers claimed early control, jumping out to a 12-10 lead. But the Redbirds answered with a 5-2 spurt to take a 15-14 advantage after back-to-back Wichita State attack errors. ISU's lead was extended to four points (19-15) five points later after Lindsey tallied consecutive deep corner kills. The Redbirds held the lead for the ensuing 18 possessions before Stockman tied the match at 26-26 with a cross-court kill. The score was tied four times in the ensuing 10 points, but ISU never allowed the Shockers to claim the lead. After WSU's Kelly Broussard committed a service error to give ISU a 31-30 lead, Leggett sealed the 32-30 win with a kill down the line.
"We were all tired from playing earlier against Missouri State and competing in such a draining match (tonight)," said Leggett. "But it didn't matter; you can't show your fatigue in a match like that. It was all heart; we wanted this win more than anything and we toughed it out despite the amount of volleyball we have played today."
Wichita State stormed back with a resounding 30-19 win in game three. The Shockers broke a 7-7 tie with a 5-0 run, and forced ISU into its first timeout. The Redbirds battled back to pull within two, 14-12, but Wichita State won 17 of the final 22 points, eventually building a double-digit advantage (27-17). Dingman relieved her starters for the remainder of the game, as the Shockers coasted to the 30-19 win.
Wichita State kept the pressure on in the early stages of game four, jumping out to a commanding 18-15 advantage. Lungren and Stockman each had two kills in the stretch. ISU tied the game at 20-20 after two kills by Staehlin and three Wichita State errors, but could draw no closer. The Shockers forced game point at 29-25 after Stockman's sixth kill of the frame, and claimed the 30-27 win three possessions later after Stephanie Tokarz hammered a rising kill over ISU's front row defense.
"We took our starters out late in game four to give them a rest, because we knew that we would need them for what was going to be an extremely exciting and competitive fifth game," Dingman said. "Our team was so calm in the huddle in between games three and four, and that really carried over to game five as well."
The Shockers built a commanding 7-4 lead mid-way through the decisive fifth frame, forcing ISU into its first timeout. But the Redbirds responded with four-consecutive kills, including two by a winded and hobbled Richmond. WSU held the lead for two of the next three points, before Richmond's kill off Lindsey Eckenrode's blocking error gave ISU its second lead of the game, 10-9. ISU claimed the lead for good six points later, when Tokarz' attack went long, giving the Redbirds a 13-12 advantage.
ISU forced game point one possession later, after Stockman committed an attack error. She answered with a kill on the ensuing point, pulling the Shockers within one, 14-13. Lindsey's kill down the line sealed the win one point later after a back-and-forth possession.
"We kept telling the players to stay aggressive, even in those tight games," said Dingman. "We decided to go for the risky play coming out of that final timeout, and Erin executed it perfectly. It turned out to be a great game-winner."
NOTABLES:
• Illinois State will be seeking its tenth Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championship Saturday. The Redbirds won the team title in 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1996 and 1997.
• Kari Staehlin's 12 digs marked a career-high.
• Head coach Sharon Dingman has now recorded two wins over nationally-ranked foes in her eight seasons at the helm of the Redbirds. ISU also defeated No. 8 UNI Nov. 21, 2003.
• A win in the championship match Saturday would give Illinois State its 12th overall berth in the NCAA Tournament. The Redbirds' last appearance in the NCAA's was following the 1998 season.
• Illinois State's 11 regular season Valley wins are the lowest for any team in league history to reach the championship match.
• Kasey Mollerus' 34 digs is the second-most in ISU history for a single-match. Mollerus ties Chris Rehor-Federico, who had 34 digs against New Mexico State Sept. 5, 1985.
• Kasey Mollerus (34 digs), Peggy Riessen (32) and Erin Lindsey (31) represents the only trio in Redbird volleyball history to record 30 or more digs in a single-match.
• Peggy Riessen's 32 digs were a career-high; Erin Lindsey also set a career-high with 31 digs.
