Oct. 16, 2009
Box Score
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -
Junior Mallory Leggett made a significant stride towards her 1,000th-career kill with a superb offensive night to lift Illinois State (9-11, 4-5 MVC) past Indiana State (6-16, 2-7 MVC) in straight-sets (25-17, 25-18, 25-19). The Redbirds had 44 kills and a .271 hitting percentage to avenge a loss at ISU Arena last season.
Leggett filled up the stat sheet with 17 kills, 13 digs and three aces; all team-high totals. She also had three blocks and hit .326 in the match. She needs just 15 kills to become the 18th player in Illinois State history to amass 1,000 in her career.
"Going into this match, we knew we had to serve well and execute offensively. Minus a few service and attack errors, I think we accomplished those goals," said ISU head coach Melissa Myers. "Any win on the road is a good win and it is always good to close out the first half of the conference schedule with a victory."
Sophomore Tabitha Visk had eight kills and freshman Angela Rego added five, all on just eight attacks in the third set. Senior Jessica Pratapas had 36 set-assists. ISU continued its solid defensive play, recording nine blocks and keeping Indiana State to just a .103 hitting percentage. Junior Katie Culbertson led the `Birds with seven blocks (one solo).
Illinois State used six kills and three aces to build a 10-2 lead in the first set. Leggett had two kills and two aces and Kelley had a kill and an ace during the run. Kelley added two more kills and the Redbird lead stretched to nine, 17-8. Indiana State used a 6-2 run to cut the deficit down to five points, 19-14, but the Redbird closed out the set with four kills in their final six points.
The second set was tight, with the Redbirds holding a one-point edge until the Sycamores went on a 5-0 run to pull ahead, 13-10. Leggett almost singlehandedly swung the set in the Redbirds' favor, recording five kills, two aces and a solo block during a 10-1 run that put ISU back on top, 22-16. She had eight kills, two service aces and a block in the set.
Indiana State had four-straight kills to build a 5-3 lead early in the third set. The Sycamores maintained a slight edge, until Rego provided a spark off the bench. Flulike symptoms kept Rego out of practice all week and the first two sets, but she came in midway through the third set and recorded kills on her first three swings to give ISU's its first lead, 16-15. Sophomore Kristin Stauter made her first appearance of the night at the service line and served six-straight Redbird points to set up match point. Leggett ended the match with her 17th kill of the night to give ISU the win.
Illinois State back on the road next weekend, taking on Creighton Friday at 7 p.m.
