Oct. 30, 2009
Box Score
NORMAL, Ill. - With their backs against the wall, the Illinois State Redbirds (10-13, 5-7 MVC) showed tremendous resilience to come from behind and beat Evansville (12-12, 5-7 MVC) in five sets (16-25, 23-25, 25-22, 25-20, 15-10). Illinois State won the final three sets for the first time in over three years to pull into a tie with the Purple Aces for sixth place in the Valley.
The Redbirds trailed lost the first two sets by a combined 11 points, but pulled off the improbable comeback for the first time since beating UT-San Antonio Sept. 1, 2006. After scoring just 39 points in the first two sets, the Redbirds recorded 65 over the final three for the comeback victory.
Junior Mallory Leggett led ISU with a season-high 22 kills, two shy of her career-high mark. She had only six attack errors on a match-best 60 attacks, and added 20 digs and three blocks. Freshman Angela Rego had 17 kills and only three attack errors. Junior Hailey Kelley added nine kills and a team-high five blocks (two solo).
Senior Jessica Pratapas led the Redbirds with a career-high 51 set-assists, and had 16 digs and three kills. Senior Kasey Mollerus led the team with 25 digs. Freshman Emileah Manahan saw the most time of her young career, playing in all five sets. She had five kills, five blocks and four digs; all career-highs.
Evansville used a 10-3 run to more than double up ISU in the first set, 13-6. The Aces maintained a lead of at least seven points throughout the rest of the set, cruising to a 25-16 win. Evansville had 14 kills and a .306 hitting percentage, while ISU had just 10 kills and a .079 hitting percentage.
Two kills and an ace from Leggett helped the Redbirds build an 8-5 lead in the second set. The Redbirds maintained a slight edge until the Aces tied the set at 14. The two teams traded points and Evansville regained the lead, 19-17, with back-to-back kills. ISU tied it again at 20, 21 and 22, but two kills and an attack error gave the set to Evansville. The third set featured 10 ties and five lead changes.
Illinois State started its comeback in the third set, which was another back and fourth affair. After a one-point difference through the first 13 points, the Ace took command with a 5-1 run. Five different Redbirds recorded kills to spark an 11-4 run that won the set. Evansville had two attack errors at the end and Leggett won it with a kill.
Evansville once again built an early lead in the fourth set, 10-5, but the Redbirds continued their momentum for another comeback win. An 8-1 ISU run, fueled by three kills by Leggett and two Kelley, put ISU on top for the first time in the set, 13-11. Evansville managed to tie the score at 15, but the Redbirds held on, outscoring the Aces 10-5 the rest of the way to force a fifth set. Rego recorded three kills during that stretch.
With all of the momentum heading into the final set, ISU wasted no time taking a 4-0 lead. Evansville had six kills to knot the score at six, but the Redbirds used three-straight blocks to complete a 6-1 run for a commanding 12-7 lead. After the Aces pulled back within three, a Leggett kill and an Evansville attack error sealed the miraculous comeback win for ISU.
Illinois State hosts Southern Illinois Saturday at 7:05 p.m.
