NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State volleyball team (14-6, 4-3 MVC) defeated Evansville (7-14, 1-6 MVC) in straight sets Friday inside Redbird Arena, as Jaelyn Keene led the Redbirds with 12 kills, connecting on .688 percent of her attempts, and two solo blocks.
Ashley Rosch and Lexi Varga both added 10 kills, while Ali Line tallied nine, tying her career-high, in the match. Jacqueline Twing dished out 46 assists, while Courtney Pence recorded 24 digs. Evansville was led by Genesis Miranda, who had 12 kills for 13 points.
The two teams traded points early in the first set until the Redbirds went on a 7-1 run, taking an 11-6 advantage. Three attack errors by Illinois State allowed Evansville to pull within three, 16-13. The momentum stayed with the Purple Aces, as back-to-back UE kills and an ISU error cut the Redbirds' lead to one, 20-19. Varga recorded three-straight kills for Illinois State, as the Redbirds took the first set, 25-21. Rosch led ISU with five kills, while Varga added four. Keene and Aly Dawson collected three apiece.
Evansville took its first lead of the match with a 6-5 lead early in the second set and the two teams were tied, 8-8. Illinois State regrouped and used four-straight kills to take a 12-8 lead. The Redbirds found their rhythm, as four-straight kills provided ISU with a convincing 23-12 lead. The Purple Aces weren't able to answer, and ISU won the second set, 25-14. Keene collected a team-high six kills in the set, while Line and Rosch both tallied four. Pence recorded 10 digs in the set.
The Redbirds momentum from the second set carried over to the third, as they jumped out to an early 8-1 lead. ISU took a 10-point lead, 17-7, off of a kill by Line. Evansville battled back within six, 19-13, before Illinois State recorded a service ace. The Redbirds worked their way back to a 10-point lead, 23-13, before taking the set, 25-15, and the match. Varga and Line led at the net with four kills in the final set, while Twing recorded 14 assists.
Illinois State returns to Redbird Arena Saturday, as it hosts Southern Illinois at 7 p.m.
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