Oct. 25, 2008
Box Score
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -
Illinois State battled back after losing the first two sets to Northern Iowa, but couldn't complete the comeback, falling to the Panthers, 3-2 (25-21, 25-19, 25-27, 20-25, 15-13) Saturday night at the McLeod Center. It was the first time this season that ISU lost the first two sets and was able to force a fifth set.
Mallory Leggett led the Redbirds (12-11, 5-6 MVC) with 21 kills and Peggy Riessen was right behind her with 20. The two outside hitters fueled the Redbird comeback with 13 and 14 kills in the final three sets, respectively. Erin Lindsey tied her season-high with 59 set assists.
The Redbirds had five players record at least 20 digs to produce a season-high 131 in the match. Kasey Mollerus led the way with 28 digs, followed by Lindsey (24), Riessen (24), M.C. Richmond (23) and Leggett (21). UNI (19-4, 9-2 MVC) recorded 112 digs in the match.
The match fit in with most of the others in the Valley on the night, as it was the third to go to five sets. In all three matches, the team that led 2-0 claimed the victory.
The first set was tightly-contested early on, with eight ties through the first 20 points scored. UNI opened up a 5-1 run to create some separation, 15-11, and maintained that lead the rest of the way. The Redbirds managed to pull within two points on three different occasions, but Shannon Aschoff closed it out with a kill to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead. Katie Culbertson and Riessen each had three kills for ISU.
Six kills and three blocks propelled the Panthers to a 9-3 lead early in the second set and three-straight kills put them ahead by double-digits for the first time, 15-5. UNI scored on nine of its first 15 attacks. The Redbirds managed to pull within six points twice, but would come no closer in the set. The Panthers had a .310 hitting percentage in the third set and took advantage of eight ISU errors.
The break between sets certainly helped ISU as Leggett and Riessen each had two kills to give the Redbirds a 5-1 lead. The ISU lead grew to six points before UNI went on a 5-1 run to pull within two points, 13-11. Riessen had an attack land just out of play to make the score 12-9 and give ISU its first error of the set. Culbertson had two kills and a block assist to lead the Redbirds on a 5-2 spurt that brought the lead back to five points, 18-13.
UNI came back with seven of the next nine points to tie the set, 20-20. The Redbirds earned the first two set points, but errors tied the score both times. On the third try, leading 26-25, a UNI attack error gave ISU the third set, 27-25.The win snapped a streak of eight-consecutive set wins for UNI. After producing thee kills in each of the first two sets, Riessen led the Redbird attack with eight kills in the third and Leggett added five.
Five-straight points in the fourth set gave ISU a 14-7 advantage. The Panthers came back again, using a 6-1 run to cut the deficit to one point, 19-18. ISU rattled off five unanswered points to set up set point, but missed its first two opportunities to claim the win. After a long volley, Leggett drove home the final kill, her fifth of the set, to force the decisive fifth set.
Richmond and Tabitha Visk started the fifth set out with a block and the Redbirds capitalized on three UNI errors to take a 6-3 lead. UNI battled back to tie the score three times and took its first lead of the set, 13-12. An ISU attack error gave UNI the first match point, but the Redbirds forced the Panthers into an attack error to make the score, 14-13. The Panthers came through with a kill on their second match point attempt.
The Redbirds return home to host Missouri State Friday, Oct. 31, at 7:05 p.m. To celebrate Halloween, the first 1,500 fans will be given a free candy bag and there will also be a costume contest.
