Aug. 30, 2007
NORMAL, Ill. -
`Bama Bash Match Notes in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Fresh off clinching its first winning streak of the 2007 season, Illinois State's volleyball team will jump back into tournament play Friday, when the Redbirds (2-1) play two of their three scheduled matches at the `Bama Bash in Tuscaloosa, Ala. ISU will take on both Sacramento State (10 a.m.) and UAB (4:30 p.m.) Friday, and face host Alabama Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
Aside from Illinois State, all three of the other teams in the tournament field appeared in the 2006 NCAA Tournament. Sacramento State went 30-6 last season, and earned the Big Sky's automatic bid into the 64-team postseason field; UAB won the Conference USA Tournament and earned the league's automatic bid, and Alabama was an NCAA Tournament at-large selection after posting a 17-13 (12-8 SEC) record and tying for second-place in the SEC-West.
A myriad of individual milestones were overshadowed by a gritty team effort in ISU's four-game (30-28, 26-30, 30-24 and 31-29) triumph over the Huskies Tuesday. Erin Lindsey had 48 set assists and eclipsed the 3,000 assist mark for her career; while Kari Staehlin needed just one of her 16 kills to surpass her 1,000th career kill.
Illinois State is winless in the three previous all-time meetings between the Redbirds and Sacramento State. The two teams last squared off in the Milwaukee Panther Invitational Sept. 13, 2004, with Sacramento State claiming a three-game (30-19, 30-28, 30-23) victory.
Friday afternoon's match against UAB will mark the first all-time meeting between the Redbirds and Blazers. ISU leads the all-time series against Alabama, 4-1, but the Crimson Tide defeated Illinois State in the last meeting between the two schools (Aug. 31, 2002), when Alabama visited Redbird Arena in the Barker GMC Classic.
Sophomore middle blocker Katie Seyller did not travel with the Redbirds to Alabama. She stayed on campus, and is continuing rehabilitation on her sprained left ankle, which was injured prior to Tuesday's contest. Seyller did not play against Northern Illinois.
