Sept. 23, 2010
| WICHITA STATE // WICHITA, KAN. |
| Date |
September 24 |
| Time |
7 p.m.
|
| Radio |
WJBC.com |
| Video |
None |
| Live Stats |
GoShockers.com |
| Match Notes |
Illinois State // Wichita State |
REDBIRDS-SHOCKERS SERIES
Illinois State leads the all-time series with Wichita State, 29-20. The series with the Shockers is the sixth-longest in Illinois State volleyball history. Illinois State dominated the beginning of the series, winning 27 of the first 32 meetings. From 1994-2001, the Redbirds won 16-straight matches over the Shockers. Since 2003, Wichita State is 15-2 against Illinois State, including four-consecutive wins.
REDBIRDS-LADY BEARS SERIES
Missouri State leads the all-time series with Illinois State, 42-38. The series with the Lady Bears is the longest in Illinois State volleyball history. Illinois State was 35-24 against Missouri State midway through 2001. Since then, Missouri State is 18-3 against the Redbirds, including five-straight wins.
LEGGETT DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Last season, senior Mallory Leggett became just the fifth player in school history to amass 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in her career (Chris Rehor, Kim Nelson, Patti Hoppa, M.C. Richmond). In her final year as a Redbird, she will look to continue her climb up the career ranks in both categories. Leggett is ranked sixth in career digs (1,200) and 10th in career kills (1,300). If she maintains her career single-season averages, she could climb into the top-three in digs and the top-five in kills.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES
Through the first 14 matches of 2009, Illinois State was 4-9 with six straight-set losses. This season, ISU is 11-3 through its first 14 matches with seven straight-set wins. The Redbirds picked up their 10th win in their 13th match this year; a feat that took 23 matches in 2009. ISU won 10 non-conference matches this year, the most since 1992.
VISK-ICIENCY
Junior Tabitha Visk has had an efficient start to the 2010 season, ranking third in the Valley with a .344 hitting percentage. Visk has recorded a hitting percentage above .400 in seven matches, committing two errors or less in all of those matches. Visk had eight kills against Texas Tech and nine kills against No. 15 Colorado State, committing just one error in each match. She had a season-high 13 kills and one error against Miami University for a career-high .632 hitting percentage.
ACES WILD
Illinois State was able to beat DePaul at the Miami Best Western Sycamore Inn Invitational thanks in large part to its service game. The Redbirds recorded a season-high 12 service aces, including seven in the final set alone. Senior Mallory Leggett and junior Tabitha Visk each had five service aces in the win.
GETTING OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT
Illinois State achieved something this year that the program hasn’t since Michael Keaton was Batman – start a season 4-0. Illinois State won its first four matches of the season for the first time since 1992 and just the eighth time in school history (1974, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1992, 2010).
GOING THE DISTANCE
In four of their 11 matches this season, the Redbirds have played the full five sets. ISU is 2-2 in the five set matches this year and came from down 2-0 in three of them. ISU played five sets in all three matches of the IU adidas Classic, the first time the Redbirds played three-straight five set matches since 2008.
REDBIRDS ON THE BLOCK
Illinois State had a solid defensive effort against North Carolina State in the opening match of the IU adidas Classic, recording a season-high 18 blocks as a team. The total was the most by an ISU team since 2004 and the 32 block assists were tied for the seventh-most in a match in school history. Senior Hailey Kelley had a career-high 11 block assists, tied for fifth on the ISU single-match rankings.
REDBIRDS WIN CORVALLIS INVITATIONAL TITLE
Illinois State won the 2010 Corvallis Invitational title to start the season. The Redbirds came from down two sets to beat Sacramento State, swept Portland and topped host Oregon State in four sets. Senior Mallory Leggett and freshman Shannon McGlaughlin were named to the all-tournament team, combining for 93 of ISU’s 170 kills in the three matches. Leggett, the tournament MVP, recorded 50 kills, 39 digs and seven blocks. McGlaughlin had 43 kills and 26 digs and received the first MVC Freshman of the Week award this season. Both players had double-digit kills in every match and the combined for 17 kills in ISU’s first-set win over Portland.
