Oct. 29, 2010
Box Score
DES MOINES, Iowa -
For the third time this season, Illinois State (15-10, 5-7 MVC) won the final three sets to complete a comeback victory. The Redbirds beat Drake (20-7, 5-7 MVC) in five sets (19-25, 24-26, 25-23, 25-18, 15-9) Friday night.
Senior Mallory Leggett led the Redbirds with a double-double of 15 kills and 15 digs. Freshman LeighAnn Hranka recorded a career-high 13 kills, just the second double-digit kill effort of her career. Junior Tabitha Visk had 10 kills and five block assists. Junior Kristin Stauter had a career-high eight kills and 41 set-assists.
Drake scored four-straight points to take a 6-3 lead in the first set, a lead the Bulldogs would not relinquish. A pair of Bulldog kills and Redbird errors fueled another 4-0 run that stretched the Drake lead to six points, 14-8. The Bulldogs' lead reached 23-16, when ISU started a comeback. Two Drake errors, a Stauter kill and an ace by sophomore Jenny Menendez brought the Redbirds within four, 23-19. Drake stopped the comeback with two kills and won the set, 25-19.
Three kills by Hranka and a kill by freshman Shannon McGlaughlin put ISU ahead, 4-2, in the second set. Drake answered with four-consecutive points and then ISU tied the set at six. The teams battled close with six more tie scores over the next 12 points. Two kills by Visk and a kill by Hranka put ISU ahead, 15-12. Two aces fueled a 5-0 Drake run that put the Bulldogs back on top, 20-18. Drake reached set point first, 24-22, but Stauter and Visk kept ISU alive with kills and tied the set at 24. The momentum swung back to Drake after an ISU service error and the Bulldogs won it with a kill, 26-24.
A 5-0 run, highlighted by two Leggett service aces, gave ISU a 7-4 lead. Drake came back with a 5-0 run of its own to tie the score at 11. After six ties, McGlaughlin recorded back-to-back kills to give ISU a two-point edge, 19-17. Kills by Visk and Leggett and a Stauter service ace brought ISU to set point, 24-22. Drake recorded a kill to extend the set, but followed with a service error to give ISU the set win, 25-23.
Two bad sets and an attack error by Drake put ISU ahead, 9-6. Drake answered with a 5-2 run to tie the score at 11. The two teams traded the next 12 points and then kills by Hranka and McGlaughlin gave ISU a two-point advantage, 19-17. Leggett then went on a tear, recording four kills over the next six ISU points to win the set for the Redbirds, 25-18. The Redbirds closed out the set with an 8-1 run, recording six kills.
Senior Hailey Kelley and Visk opened the fifth set with kills to put ISU ahead, 2-0. The Redbirds maintained the two-point edge until three-straight points stretched the lead to 9-5. Stauter then had a kill and a service ace to put the Redbirds on top, 12-7. A Visk kill and a Drake error gave ISU match point, 14-8, and Stauter ended it with a kill, 15-9.
Illinois State visits Creighton Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
