NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State volleyball team rallied back after dropping the first set in its Missouri Valley Conference home opener Friday, topping visiting Drake by a 3-1 score. The Redbirds won the match by scores of 22-25, 25-16, 25-19, 25-19.
Ashley Rosch led four Redbirds reaching double figures in kills, as the lone Redbird senior tallied a match-high 17. Jaelyn Keene added 13 kills, on a match-best .423 hitting percentage, while Aly Dawson and Lexi Varga chipped in 11 kills each.
Jacqueline Twing distributed 47 assists in the win, while Varga led the Redbirds in digs, with 21. Keene led all players with five blocks, including two solos.
Drake (11-10, 2-2 MVC) won a back-and-forth set that featured seven ties and three lead changes. The Bulldogs took the lead for good, at 19-18, with a kill from Makena Schoene, and got to a set point when Katie Allen and Taylor Zant teamed up on a block. The Bulldogs scored the next point on a Redbird error to claim the first set.
Illinois State (11-5, 1-2) bounced back in the second set, however, using a 9-4 run midway through the set to take a four-point lead. Key kills down the stretch from Rosch and Varga helped the Redbirds even the match at one set apiece.
The Redbirds maintained the momentum into the third set. Powered by five kills from Varga, and three team aces, Illinois State took a 2-1 lead in the match.
The fourth set was the closest of the night until a four-point run by the Redbirds turned a two-point deficit into a two-point lead late in the set. Drake trailed by just two points at 21-19, but back-to-back kills from Keene were followed by back-to-back kills from Dawson, sealing the Redbird win.
The Redbirds return to action Saturday with a 7 p.m. match against Northern Iowa at Redbird Arena. Saturday's match will be Illinois State's "Paint the Arena Pink" match, with tickets available for just $1. Links for live stats and audio are available at GoRedbirds.com, and fans can receive live updates by following @RedbirdVB on Twitter.
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
