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NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State volleyball team turned in one of its best performances of the season in front of its biggest crowd of the year Saturday, as the Redbirds downed Evansville in three sets before a season-high crowd of 1,891 fans at Redbird Arena. The Redbirds won by scores of 25-16, 25-18, 25-20.
A balanced Redbird offense saw three players reach double figures in kills, and another come up just one short of reaching the mark. Ella Francis tallied a match-high 12 kills, while Jaelyn Keene added 11 and Lexi Wallen 10. Ali Line collected nine kills.
Jacqueline Twing dished out 24 assists and Jordan Weatherless distributed 16 helpers. Courtney Pence led all players Saturday with 24 digs.
Illinois State (16-10, 9-5 MVC) never trailed in the opening set. A five-point run early on helped the Redbirds establish a commanding lead. Kills down the stretch from Line and Keene got the Redbirds to a set point, and Francis finished it off with her sixth kill of the match on set point.
Both teams traded points early in the second set until a mid-set run from the Redbirds helped the hosts break away. Wallen had five kills in the set, as did Keene, who notched her final kill on set point to give the Redbirds a 2-0 lead in the match.
A fast 5-1 start in the third set didn't keep Evansville (5-23, 1-14) from keeping it close, as the Purple Aces fought back to tie it up at 13-all. The Redbirds answered with a 5-1 binge that helped Illinois State pull away for good, as the Redbirds finished off the match moments later on an Evansville service error.
The Redbirds return to action next weekend with matches at Wichita State and Missouri State. Links for live video, audio and stats can be found at GoRedbirds.com, and fans can follow @RedbirdVB on Twitter for live updates and more.
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
