NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State volleyball team's 19th-straight victory required one of the Redbirds' best performances of the year Friday night at Redbird Arena. After falling into a 0-2 hole after the first two sets, the Redbirds had to fight back to win the next three sets against Missouri State.
Illinois State won by scores of 21-25, 24-26, 25-17, 25-22, 15-9.
The Redbirds were buoyed by a career-best performance from Emily Orrick, who registered a career-high and Redbird Arena-record 42 digs in the match. Sierra Burris added a career-best 21 digs, while Jaelyn Keene matched a career high with 15 kills.
Illinois State (23-5, 17-0 MVC) ran its winning streak to 19-straight matches, which ties the second-longest streak in program history. The Redbirds can finish off a perfect season in the Missouri Valley Conference with a win Saturday over visiting Wichita State.
Ashley Rosch led the way for ISU Friday night with 21 kills, while Stacey Niao and Eliza Smith added nine apiece. Kaitlyn Early dished out 55 assists and Emily Schneider added five blocks. Niao and Keene tallied three aces each.
Missouri State (18-11, 11-6 MVC) never trailed in the opening set. The Bears used a 4-0 run early to take control and never relented. ISU used a 5-1 rally to get back within striking distance, and got within a point of the lead five times, but Missouri State provided an answer each time. The Bears scored four of the final points to win the opening set.
A tightly-contested second set also went the way of Missouri State. The lead changed hands 12 times in the set and the score was tied seven times. Rosch tallied six kills in the set, including one that knotted the score up at 24-24, but it wasn't enough as the visitors took a 2-0 lead into the break.
Illinois State started clawing its way back into the match in the third set. The Redbirds used a six-point rally early on to take a 7-2 lead and pulled away with a five-point run that boosted their lead to 17-10. Key kills down the stretch from Keene and Niao helped the Redbirds win their first set of the match.
The Redbirds built a sizeable lead early in the fourth set only to see Missouri State come charging back. ISU led by nine points at 19-10, but Missouri State came back to within two points of the lead late, before Rosch ended the set with her 19th kill of the match.
Illinois State used a 5-0 run to take control early in the fifth set, but Missouri State answered with a 7-2 run that gave the visitors an 8-7 lead. Illinois State finished the match by winning eight of the following nine points, however, to seal the victory.
The Redbirds are back in action Saturday night at 7 p.m. against Wichita State. Illinois State will recognize its seniors after the home finale.
Saturday's match will be Fan Appreciation Night and fans attending Saturday's football game will be granted free admission with their football ticket. Links to live stats, audio and video from Saturday's match can be found at GoRedbirds.com.
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.Â
