Oct. 23, 2010
Final Stats |
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NORMAL, Ill. -
Illinois State (14-10, 4-7 MVC) tried to pull off a tough weekend sweep Saturday night, but fell to Wichita State (14-5, 8-3 MVC) in four sets (22-25, 13-25, 26-24, 15-25). Three Redbirds recorded double-digit kills.
Junior Tabitha Visk led the Redbird attack with 13 kills, followed closely by freshman Shannon McGlaughlin (12) and senior Mallory Leggett (11). The trio couldn't match the output of Wichita State's top offensive players Emily Adney, who had 23 kills, and Camri Zwiesler, who had 14. Wichita State had a 60-50 advantage in kills and committed 14 less errors.
Junior Kristin Stauter had 34 set-assists and sophomore Jenny Menendez had 18 digs to lead ISU.
Wichita State ran out to a 6-0 lead in the first set, on the strength of four kills. Three Shocker attack errors helped the Redbirds pull within a point, 12-11, but ISU then committed three attack errors to put the score at 16-12. McGlaughlin went on a tear with four kills, but errors kept ISU from sustaining a long rally and Wichita State remained ahead, 19-17. Four kills brought Wichita State to set point, but the Redbirds stayed alive with two Visk kills and a Leggett ace, making the score 24-22. ISU couldn't complete the comeback, as Wichita won it with a kill, 25-22. Despite holding a 15-14 edge in kills in the set, ISU committed three more attack errors than Wichita.
Wichita State again broke out to an early lead in the second set, 5-1. The Shockers scored five-straight points on four kills and a block. Four more Shocker kills stretched the lead to nine points, 13-4. Two more kills and a block gave WSU a double-digit lead for the first time, 16-5. Wichita State didn't have an error on its first 15 attacks of the set, recording 11 kills. Freshman LeighAnn Hranka tried to energize the Redbird attack with a solo block and a kill, but the Redbirds still trailed by 10, 18-8. Once Wichita State reached set point, the Redbirds held tough again with three-straight points, but it was too late as Wichita State won it, 25-13. The Shockers had 17 kills and only two errors on 30 attacks for a .500 hitting percentage.
A block by Stauter and senior Hailey Kelley gave ISU its first lead of the match, 5-4, in the third set. Three-straight ISU points, highlighted by a Stauter ace and a block by Visk and Hranka, put ISU ahead, 10-8. ISU held onto that two-point edge until three kills and a block put WSU back in the lead, 16-14. A Menendez ace and a Visk kill gave the lead back to ISU, 18-17. The lead changed hands four more times over the next eight points, with a Leggett ace putting ISU ahead, 22-21. Wichita State tied the score three times, but ISU maintained the advantage and kills by Kelley and senior Katie Culbertson won it for ISU, 26-24. The Redbirds final seven points came on six kills and an ace.
A 5-1 run gave Wichita State a 6-2 lead in the fourth set. Two Redbird errors stretched the lead to 10-3. Leggett recorded back-to-back aces, sending balls to the floor off the tape, to bring the Redbirds within four,13-9. Wichita State answered with another 5-1 run, all on kills, and then scored four-straight points to double up the Redbirds, 22-11. Three more kills won the set and the match for the Shockers, 25-15. Wichita State had a 16-9 kill advantage in the fourth set.
Illinois State is back on the road to face Drake Friday at 7 p.m.
