Aug. 28, 2009
Box Score | Photo Gallery 
NORMAL, Ill. - Junior Mallory Leggett and sophomore Tabitha Visk each had double-digit kills to lead Illinois State (1-0) to a three-set sweep (25-15, 25-16, 25-14) of Gardner-Webb (0-1) in the opening round of the Redbird Classic Friday night. The win snapped a seven-match losing streak for the Redbirds in season-openers.
Legget had a match-high 11 kills, the 42nd double-digit kills match of her career, and five aces for the Redbirds. Visk had 10 kills, the first double-digit kill effort of her career. Senior Jessica Pratapas made the best of the first start of her career, recording a career-high 29 set-assists and two kills. She also had her first-career block-assist. Senior Katie Seyller returned to the court for the first time since 2007 and chipped in four kills and three block-assists.
Illinois State hit .330 ad a team and had seven service aces. Gardner-Webb struggled with a -.034 hitting percentage, recording more attack errors (21) than kills (18).
Seyller scored the first Redbird point, and her first in two years, with a two-handed kill at the net that sparked a 6-0 Redbird run to start the match. Errors by the Redbirds allowed the Runnin' Bulldogs the cut the deficit in half, but the Redbirds answered quickly and continued to stretch their lead, 15-8. Gardner-Webb had four-straight errors to close out the set and the Redbirds took a 1-0 lead in the match. Kelley had four kills and Seyller added three kills and two blocks.
Gardner-Webb jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the second set, but a pair of service aces from Leggett swung the momentum back in the Redbirds' favor and they took a 12-9 lead. A Leggett ace sparked four-straight ISU points to stretch the lead to 17-11. The Redbirds stayed on top the rest of the way, closing out the set with a kill from Leggett. She had three kills in the set and Visk added five.
The Redbirds had control the entire third set and cruised to victory. Leggett led the way with six kills and a service ace. The ISU lead reached its biggest point midway through the set, 16-7. Junior Hailey Kelley closed out the set and the match with a kill.
The Redbirds take on UT Arlington Saturday at 12:05 p.m. The Mavericks lost to Oral Roberts in their first match of the Redbird Classic, 3-0.
