Sept. 24, 2010
Final Stats
WICHITA, Kan. -
Illinois State (11-4, 1-1 MVC) battled back from two sets down to force a fifth set for the third time this season, but couldn't complete the comeback with a win, falling to Wichita State (9-3, 2-1 MVC), 3-2 (19-25, 22-25, 25-19, 28-26, 9-15) Friday night. Senior Mallory Leggett and freshman Shannon McGlaughlin combined for 40 kills.
McGlaughlin had a career-high 21 kills, the first 20-kill effort of her career. She also had a career-high 21 kills to lead the Redbirds. Leggett also posted a double-double with 19 kills and 19 digs. Senior Katie Culbertson was also in double-figures with 10 kills. Junior Kristin Stauter had five kills, 50 set-assists and 13 digs.
"Overall, I think we played really well. We need to remember that last year, we were swept here and lost the third set 25-9. We were so close to winning this match tonight, which shows a lot of growth in our team," said head coach Melissa Myers. "We did a good job of refocusing after the first two sets, when we played pretty timidly. We talked in the locker room at the break about how we could control the pace and I think we did that in the third and fourth sets. Wichita State played very well in the fifth set. They took control from the start and got kills efficiently and effectively."
Four Redbird errors fueled a 6-2 Wichita State run that put the Shockers ahead, 12-6, in the first set. Two Wichita State errors and a Leggett kill pulled the Redbirds within two points, 14-12. Still leading by two, Wichita State scored four-straight points on three kills and an ace to set up set-point, 24-18. After a service error, the Shockers took the set with a kill, 25-19. Both teams had 13 kills in the set, but ISU committed seven errors, while Wichita State had only two.
Errors hurt the Redbirds early in the second set, as they committed three as Wichita State built a 7-2 lead. Two Leggett kills and two Wichita State errors pulled the Redbirds within two, 12-10.Wichita State built its lead back to four when McGlaughlin and Leggett recorded back-to-back kills to keep ISU within two points, 22-20. Wichita State recorded three kills to win the set, 25-22.
Five kills gave ISU its first lead of the match, 7-2, to start the third set. A McGlaughlin kill and two Shocker errors allowed the Redbirds to double up the score, 12-6. The Shockers came back into the set with three-straight kills to cut the lead down to three, 17-14. Kills by McGlaughlin and senior Hailey Kelley put ISU at 20 first, 20-16. Three WSU errors gave ISU set-point and Kelley and Stauter finished it with a block, 25-19.
The two teams traded the first 10 points of the fourth set. Wichita State built a two-point lead twice, but the Redbirds tied the score both times, at nine and 14. Kills by Stauter and Culbertson and a Shocker error gave ISU its first lead of the set, 17-14, but the Shockers came right back to tie the score at 17. ISU then built a pair of two-point leads, only to have Wichita tie the score each time.
The Redbirds committed two errors to give Wichita State match point, but then the Shockers committed two errors to tie the score at 24. A McGlaughlin kill gave ISU set point, but the Redbirds couldn't close it out, committing a service error on the next point. McGlaughlin extended the set with a kill and a Shocker error gave the advantage back to the Redbirds. Wichita State committed another attack error to give the set to the `Birds, 28-26.
McGlaughlin had a pair of kills as ISU jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the fifth set, but Wichita State answered right back with five-straight points and led, 7-4, midway through the set. The Shockers maintained the three-point cushion and scored three-consecutive points to reach match point again. One more kill won the set for Wichita State, 15-9, and staved off the ISU comeback.
Illinois State visits Missouri State Saturday at 7 p.m.
