Oct. 2, 2009
Box Score
CARBONDALE, Ill. -
Junior Mallory Leggett and sophomore Tabitha Visk combined for 34 kills to lead Illinois State (7-9, 2-3 MVC) to a comeback victory over Southern Illinois (12-2, 2-2 MVC), 3-1 (24-26, 26-24, 25-23, 25-20) Friday night. The Redbirds won their 36th-straight regular-season match over the Salukis.
Leggett led the Redbird attack with 18 kills, one shy of her season-high, and had three service aces and 13 digs. Visk tied her career-high with 16 kills and had three block assists. The duo combined for 34 of ISU's 59 kills. Freshman Angela Rego added nine kills and senior Katie Seyller and junior Hailey Kelley each had seven.
Sophomore Kristin Stauter had a career-high 52 set-assists, the most by a Redbird this year. Senior Kasey Mollerus had a match-high 18 digs and freshman Jenny Menendez added 12.
"We reached 20 points first in all four sets tonight and closed out sets when we had set points quickly, which were both major keys for us tonight," said head coach Melissa Myers. "The first three sets were all decided by just two points. Our offense really started to click in the fourth, which allowed us to come from behind to win that set. Tonight's win was a really big step for us in terms of confidence and being maintaining our composure on the road."
Four-straight points put SIU ahead, 8-7, in the first set. Three-straight kills by Visk, back-to-back aces by Menendez and a blocked overpass by Kelley provided a 6-2 run that gave the Redbirds a 14-11 lead. The Salukis tied the score at 14 and the two teams traded points until three-straight Saluki points put them ahead, 20-18. Four-straight Redbird points, started by a Leggett kill and ace, put ISU ahead by two, but the Salukis tied it again at 22. ISU was the first team to reach set point, but a service error and an attack error gave the opening set to the Salukis.
Southern Illinois broke out to a 6-2 lead in the second set with four kills and two blocks. Down by one point late in the match, ISU used four-straight points to take its first lead, 21-18. SIU tied the set at 22, but the Redbirds were the first to reach set point on a Visk kill. The Salukis spoiled the first set point, but back-to-back Rego kills sealed the win for the Redbirds.
Four Redbird kills, three-straight by Leggett, and four Saluki errors put ISU ahead, 8-3, in the third set. SIU pulled within two points, but then had five errors that stalled their momentum and kept the Redbirds ahead, 14-10. A 4-0 Redbird run, highlighted by a pair of Leggett aces, stretched the lead to 18-11. Both teams scored four unanswered points to maintain the seven-point Redbird edge and then SIU got five-straight kills to pull within two points. An error and a block cut the deficit down to one, 24-23, but Leggett ended the set with a crosscourt kill.
ISU held a slim advantage through its first 10 points of the fourth set. A 4-0 spurt put the Salukis on top for the first time, 12-10. The Redbirds came back later in the set with five unanswered points to pull ahead, 18-16. ISU cruised to the win with its final seven points coming on kills.
Illinois State visits Evansville Saturday at 7 p.m.
