Nov. 24, 2007
Box Score 
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Illinois State had four players with double-digit kills, but Northern Iowa overcame a one-game deficit and won three-consecutive games to eliminate the fifth-seeded Redbirds in the championship match of the 2007 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Hammons Student Center Saturday. ISU finishes the regular season and conference tournament with a 21-11 record, and will await its postseason fate as a possible NCAA Tournament at-large selection. The selection show will be carried live on ESPNU Sunday at 7 p.m. CST.
Saturday's match marked Illinois State's 13th overall appearance in the conference title match, and its first since the 2000 season. ISU (21-11) was the first team in league history to finish as low as fifth-place in the regular season and advance to the tournament's final match. The Redbirds also recorded their 26th consecutive 20-win season in the process. UNI (22-10) earns the Valley's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
Second-team All-MVC setter Erin Lindsey and All-Freshman Team selection Mallory Leggett were both named to the all-tournament team for their efforts in ISU's three matches. Against host Missouri State, top-seeded Wichita State and the Panthers, Lindsey averaged 13.75 assists per game, and Leggett had a team-high 48 kills (4.00 kpg) and scored a team-best 51.5 points.
Leggett and sophomore outside hitter Peggy Riessen each tallied a team-high 16 kills, while junior first-team All-Valley right side hitter M.C. Richmond (15) and senior first-team Kari Staehlin (14) also recorded double-digit kill efforts. Lindsey had 62 set assists for her second 60+ set assist tally of the tournament, and Kasey Mollerus added a team-high 23 digs.
UNI had a foursome with double-digit kills, led by Laura Rowen's 16. Setter Kristin Belzung led a .312 hitting effort with 60 set assists.
"I told our team following the match that I have been coaching for 22 years, and I'm not sure that I have been prouder of any single group than I am this one," said head coach Sharon Dingman. "What we did to put ourselves in a position to possibly receive an at-large bid was nothing short of amazing. We played eight games of volleyball yesterday, and it felt like we played 16. But that is how hard we had to play in order to beat the Bears and Shockers, and our team learned from that.
"We tried to do everything in our power to win this thing today, but I don't think we had anything left physically. We dug 153 balls last night, and that took its toll. It is pretty important to get a bye in this tournament in order to win, and you have to give Northern Iowa credit. They were a great champion."
The Redbirds tallied a 30-27 win in game one behind a balanced and efficient offensive attack. Illinois State jumped out to a 10-7 lead at the first media timeout, with Richmond, Riessen, Staehlin and Katie Seyller each recording kills. The Redbirds' lead was extended to 18-11 after tallying an 8-4 run, and UNI head coach Bobbi Petersen called her first timeout. The Panthers went on a 4-2 spree out of the break, and closed the gap to 20-15 at the game's final media timeout.
ISU led by as many as seven points down the stretch, but allowed UNI to cut the lead to 28-26 after back-to-back aces by Ashten Stelken. The Redbirds sealed the 30-27 win after Rowen's game point facing serve went long. Leggett and Riessen each collected a game-high five kills to lead ISU, while UNI was paced by Rowen's six kills.
The Panthers answered with a 30-17 in game two, their most convincing single-game loss since dropping a 30-16 decision to Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa, on Oct. 6. UNI came out strong, jumping out to a 10-5 lead. Rowen tallied three kills in the first ten points. The Panthers tallied the match's first double-digit advantage 15 possessions later after going on a 6-3 spurt.
Both teams traded points over the ensuing eight points before UNI claimed a commanding 26-14 advantage after a kill by Shannon Aschoff, forcing Dingman into her final timeout of the frame. UNI won four of the final seven points to secure the 30-17 decision, capped off by a game-ending service ace by Rowen, who added another five kills in the stanza.
Northern Iowa ended the ensuing game three on a 16-8 run, and held off Illinois State for a 30-27, come-from-behind win. ISU broke an early 7-7 tie by winning three of the next four points, and took a 10-8 lead at the first media timeout. Richmond had four kills in the first 18 points of the stanza. UNI called its first timeout of the game just two points later after the Redbirds capitalized on a net violation by the Panthers, and Richmond tallied her fifth kill of the frame. The lead was trimmed to just one point (13-12) five points later, and ISU took its first timeout.
The Redbirds re-claimed a 19-14 advantage eight possessions later after receiving three kills from Leggett and forcing two Panther attack errors. UNI stormed back with a 10-6 run, and pulled within one, 26-25, and forced ISU into its final timeout of the frame. The Panthers clinched the 2-1 lead in the best-of-five match by winning four of the final six points, capped off by Melissa Schmidtz's ace.
Northern Iowa took control mid-way through game four and cruised to the 30-25 match-clinching win. ISU again took early control, using two kills apiece from Staehlin and Richmond to jump out to a 10-7 lead. UNI tied the score four times in the next 15 points, and took its first lead (17-16) of the game after an ace by Belzung.
Brazda's kill gave the Panthers a 20-17 lead at the game's final media timeout. UNI built as large as a seven-point lead down the stretch, and forced game point at 29-22 after Aschoff's second kill in the previous three points. The Redbirds fought off three-consecutive game points, but a called net violation at the end of the game secured the 30-25 win and tournament title.
