Nov. 19, 2010
Box Score | Photo Gallery 
NORMAL, Ill. - Illinois State (18-13, 8-10) closed out the regular season with a sweep of Indiana State (11-20, 3-15 MVC) Friday night at Redbird Arena. With the win, Illinois State clinched a spot in the 2010 State Farm MVC Tournament, which begins Thursday, Nov. 25.
On Senior Night, senior Mallory Leggett led the Redbirds with 11 kills and 12 digs. Freshmen LeighAnn Hranka and Shannon McGlaughlin each added eight kills. McGlaughlin added a team-high 12 digs and sophomore Jenny Menendez had 11.
Illinois State is currently slated for the No. 6 seed, but could move up to No. 5 if Drake loses to Evansville Saturday night. A drake win over the Purple Aces would keep ISU as the No. 6 seed. Northern Iowa is the only team that has clinched its seeding, with the undefeated Panthers set as the No. 1. Seeds 2-6 will all be determined after the final regular-season matches Saturday night.
Two ISU kills and an Indiana State attack error gave ISU an 8-4 lead in the opening set. Another Sycamore error and an ace from Menendez doubled the score, 12-6. A 5-1 run pulled the Sycamores within two points, 16-14, but the Redbirds answered with three-straight points to keep Indiana State from coming any closer. Senior Hailey Kelley recorded a solo block at the middle of the net to bring ISU to 20. With ISU at set point, 24-18, Indiana State kept the set alive with two points, but Hranka won it with a kill. ISU had 15 kills and only three errors for a hitting percentage of .343 in the set.
Leggett served back-to-back aces early in the second set to cap a 4-0 run that put ISU ahead, 6-2. ISU maintained at least a three-point advantage for most of the set as the teams traded points. A Sycamore kill and a Redbird error pulled Indiana State within two, 16-14. Kills by McGlaughlin and Kelley again kept the Sycamores at bay. A pair of Indiana State errors stretched the ISU lead to 22-17. Senior Katie Culbertson came in for two kills to bring ISU to set point, but again Indiana State stayed alive with three kills. An Indiana State attack error won it for ISU, 25-22.
Illinois State clung to a one-point edge early in the third set until a Hranka attack error tied it at eight. ISU regained the advantage, but the Sycamores battled back to tie the score at 14 with a kill and a block. The teams traded the next six points and a Sycamore kill gave them their first lead of the set, 18-17. The next serve was sent long and the set was tied again at 18. A bad set and a block by Kelley gave the advantage back to the Redbirds, 20-19. Indiana State tied it again at 20, but the Redbirds answered with kills by Leggett and Kelley to take a two-point lead, 22-20. Indiana State came right back with a pair of kills to tie the set for the 17th time in the set, 22-22.
Leggett sent a kill down the left line and McGlaughlin added another kill down the middle to give ISU match point. Menendez hit the serve into the net, keeping Indiana State alive and the Sycamores tied the score at 24 with a kill. Leggett recorded two more kills to give ISU match point, but the Sycamores stayed alive each time with a kill. Kills by Hranka and Kelley won it for ISU, 29-27.
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