SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Illinois State volleyball team lost a close first set and Missouri State won the next two as the host Bears scored a straight-sets win in both teams' Missouri Valley Conference opener Friday at Hammons Student Center. Missouri State won by scores of 26-24, 25-15, 25-19.
Ashley Rosch registered a double-double with 10 kills and 11 digs for Illinois State, while Jordan Weatherless posted team-high totals of 19 assists and 14 digs. Ali Line, Jaelyn Keene and Aly Dawson recorded six kills each, and Dawson and Courtney Pence tallied 13 digs apiece.
"After the first 20 points of the match, we were unproductive on offense," said Illinois State head coach Melissa Myers. "Missouri State played solid defense and made some great saves, and we also made several unforced errors, which allowed them to take control of the first set, and ultimately, the match."
Illinois State (10-4, 0-1 MVC) ran out to an early 5-0 lead and led by as many as seven points in the first set. The Redbirds eventually got to a set point at 24-22, but Missouri State scored four-straight points to complete the comeback and win the first set.
Missouri State (10-4, 1-0) never trailed in the second set and built a lead that reached as many as 14 points at 22-8. The Redbirds scored five-straight points to force a Missouri State timeout, but the Bears matched the Redbirds the rest of the way to take a 2-0 lead heading into the break.
The Bears never trailed in the third set, either, but the Redbirds kept it close and trailed by three points at 19-16 late in the set. The hosts closed on a 6-3 run, however, to finish off the sweep.
The Redbirds return to action Saturday with their second league match in as many days. Illinois State will travel to Wichita, Kansas, for a 7 p.m. match with Wichita State at Charles Koch Arena. The match will be broadcast live on ESPN3, and links for live video, audio and stats are available at GoRedbirds.com. Fans can also 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.
