Aug. 18, 2008
Over the final 12 business days leading up to the Redbirds' 2008 season opener against Iowa State (Aug. 29), Illinois State Athletics Media Relations will examine 12 topics that pertain to the upcoming campaign. Monday's installment includes a look at the outside hitters.
Heading into the 2008 season, Illinois State's quartet of returning outside hitters may be the Redbirds' most talented position group, and will certainly be relied upon to carry the load offensively. ISU's returning outside and right side hitters combined for more than 1,100 (1,109) kills last season.
Senior right side hitter M.C. Richmond has earned first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors in each of the past two seasons. She has established herself as one of the Valley's most dominant six-rotation players, and has shown the ability to take over a match offensively. Last season, Richmond recorded career-highs in both kills (395) and points (463.5) while hitting at a team second-best .259 clip, despite constantly drawing double-teams.
Richmond has recorded 46 efforts with 20-or-more kills the past two seasons, and hit .300-or-better 23 times in the same stretch. She is also a key contributor in ISU's blocking and defensive effort. Richmond's 422 digs last season were 39 more than she tallied in her first two seasons combined.
Junior Peggy Riessen has started 42 matches on the outside for the Redbirds the past two seasons, and has one of the most aggressive swings on the team. She ended the 2007 season with 334 kills, a team second-best 31 service aces, 28 blocks and 380 points.
Riessen's offensive production has come in spurts in her first two seasons in a Redbird uniform. She averaged nearly seven kills per match (6.9) over the first 14 matches of the 2006 campaign, before seeing that average drop to 2.6 kills per match over the final 13 outings of the campaign. Conversely, last season, Riessen recorded double-digit kill efforts in 13 of the first 15 matches, before tallying double-digit kills in five of the final 14 matches of the campaign.
Sophomore Mallory Leggett figures to be one of the Valley's most dangerous offensive players in 2008, especially considering the way she wrapped up her freshman season in the State Farm MVC Tournament. Leggett averaged 4.0 kills per game in the tournament, leading the Redbirds to the championship match and an eventual at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Leggett, a member of the Valley's All-Freshman Team, totaled 357 kills (3.10 kpg), 50 blocks and 419 points to go along with 406 digs, in her first season of college volleyball. The three-time Valley Newcomer of the Week tallied 18 double-digit kill efforts, including eight of the last 10 matches of the season. One area that Leggett will look to improve upon this season is her hitting percentage, where she attacked at a .183 clip, in 2007. Leggett ended the season with six efforts with a .300-or-better hitting effort.
Sophomore Katie Culbertson appeared in 20 matches with three starts last season, and will look to build upon that experience in her sophomore campaign. She ended the season with 23 kills, eight service aces, nine assisted blocks, nine digs and 35.5 points. Culbertson may be utilized more on the right side this season, where she saw spot relief for an injured Richmond late in the 2007 campaign. Culbertson showed sufficient blocking and attacking ability on the right side, where she played in high school.
