Sept. 30, 2010
REDBIRDS-BLUEJAYS SERIES
Illinois State leads the all-time series with Creighton, 24-11. The series began in 1994, with at least two matches every year since then. ISU dominated the series early on, winning 23 of the first 26 matches. Since 2006, Creighton has won eight of the last nine meetings. The teams split the season series last year, with each winning on its home floor.
REDBIRDS-BULLDOGS SERIES
Illinois State leads the all-time series with Drake, 48-7. In a series that dates back to 1979, Illinois State won the first 22 meetings, with 18 coming in straight-sets. Drake picked up its first win in 1994, won all three matches in 1995 and won again in 1996. Illinois State then won 26-consecutive matches from 1996-2008. Of those 26 wins, 14 were sweeps, 11 were in four sets and only one went the full five sets. Drake snapped the losing streak to the Redbirds with a pair of five-set wins last season.
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 was 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. A win this weekend and the Redbirds will equal their win total from all of 2009.
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 fifth in career digs (1,225) and ninth in career kills (1,327). If she maintains her career single-season averages, she could climb into the top-three in digs and the top-five in kills.
VISK-ICIENCY
Junior Tabitha Visk has had an efficient start to the 2010 season, ranking fourth in the Valley with a .344 hitting percentage. Visk has recorded a hitting percentage above .400 in eight 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 five of their 16 matches this season, the Redbirds have played the full five sets. ISU is 2-3 in the five-set matches this year and came from down 2-0 in four 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 was the tournament MVP and McGlaughlin's performance earned her 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.
