Aug. 28, 2007
Box Score
NORMAL, Ill. - A myriad of individual milestones were overshadowed by a gritty team performance in DeKalb, Ill., Tuesday night, as Illinois State's volleyball team outlasted in-state rival Northern Illinois in four-games (30-28, 26-30, 30-24 and 31-29) at Victor E. Court. Co-captains Erin Lindsey and Kari Staehlin each recorded significant career marks in the match to aid in the Redbird win. Lindsey had 48 set assists, and became just the fifth setter in ISU history to surpass the 3,000 assist mark, while Staehlin needed just one of her 16 kills to eclipse 1,000 for her three-year starting career.
"I think one of the biggest differences tonight was that after halftime, we really came out and started blocking the ball," said head coach Sharon Dingman. "We were being out-blocked 9-to-4, but I thought we came out and responded extremely well. Our solid serving also allowed us to make some runs in both game two and game three.
"Serving is going to continue to be one of the keys to our success this year. I thought we really frustrated their offense with our consistent serving, and it also made our blocking better."
"It was great to see Kari Staehlin get her 1,000th career kill, and likewise for Erin Lindsey's 3,000th assist," Dingman added. "Tonight was a great night for the Redbirds."
The win marked the second consecutive for Illinois State over its in-state foes, and was Dingman's fifth victory over Northern Illinois in her tenure as the Redbird mentor.
Peggy Riessen had a team-high 18 kills to lead the ISU offensive output. Staehlin had 16 kills, while M.C. Richmond collected her fourth-consecutive double-digit kill effort with 10. Kasey Mollerus led the defensive charge with 18 digs. NIU was led by Irene Johnson's 19 kills, while Maria Benitez had 18 digs defensively.
Illinois State started game one with back-to-back blocks, jumpstarting what turned out to be a 6-0 run that forced NIU head coach Ray Gooden to use his first timeout. The Redbirds never relinquished the lead, but NIU mounted a late surge to pull within one-point three times in the frame's final eight possessions. Riessen gave ISU its 29th and 30th points of the stanza, as the `Birds secured the 30-28 win and 1-0 advantage in the best-of-five. Staehlin led the ISU charge with seven kills and two blocks, while Riessen chipped in six kills. NIU had seven team blocks in the stanza.
After back-to-back kills by Richmond and Staehlin, the `Birds again gained the early advantage in game two (2-0). But NIU immediately answered, claiming a 5-4 lead seven points later. ISU led just one more time in the game, after Lindsey's service ace gave the Redbirds a 10-9 edge. The Huskies built their largest lead of five points (27-22) after a hitting error by Riessen, and held off a late ISU surge to post the 30-26 win and tie the match at 1-1. Riessen had five kills in the stanza to lead the ISU offensive output. After the two games, ISU had nearly as many errors (23) as NIU had kills (25).
Northern Illinois carried the momentum over to the early stages of game three, jumping out to a 9-6 lead. The advantage was extended to 13-10 eight points later following back-to-back Huskie kills, but the Redbirds responded with a stingy 13-3 run to take a commanding 24-18 lead. Riessen had four kills in the stretch, and Kristin Dziubla, playing in place of the injured Katie Seyller (apparent ankle injury), assisted on three blocks. NIU trimmed the lead to four twice down the stretch, but Jagoda Pstras ended the threat with back-to-back kills. Staehlin, who spearheaded the 13-3 run behind the service line, recorded a kill and block in the final two points to help seal the 30-24 win.
Game four was a see-saw battle from the outset, as a combined nine ties and lead changes took place in the initial 20 possessions. The Redbirds claimed a two-point lead at 12-10 after a solo block by Staehlin, but the advantage would last just six more points before the Huskies tied the game at 14-14 after Johnson's 17th kill. NIU controlled the immediate ensuing stages of the frame, extending its lead to as many as five points on two occasions. But ISU again strung together a late spree, led by the serving of Riessen.
Trailing 26-24, Riessen led the `Birds on a 2-0 spurt to tie the game at 26-26; Pstras had her seventh kill in the stretch. After NIU answered with two-of-three points to take a 29-28, game-point lead. But Staehlin answered with a kill to knot the game at 29-29, and Lindsey followed with a kill to force match point. NIU was forced into a hitting error to end the match.
Illinois State returns to action Friday in the Academy Sports Invitational at Tuscaloosa, Ala. The `Birds will face Sacramento State (10 a.m.) and UAB (4:30 p.m.) in the opening two rounds on Friday, and will take on host Alabama Saturday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. All three of those teams appeared in the 2006 NCAA Tournament.
