Box Score
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Illinois State volleyball team finished its weekend with a five-set win over Utah, marking the third-straight five-set match for Illinois State at the tournament. The Redbirds defeated Utah by scores of 23-25, 25-18, 15-25, 18-25, 15-13, to finish as the tournament champion with a 2-1 record.
Jaelyn Keene was named the the Tournament MVP. She was joined on the all-tournament team by her Redbird teammates Jacqueline Twing and Ali Line.
"We had three great opponents this weekend and it was great to come away with two wins," said Illinois State head coach Melissa Myers. "We had several different players step up at different times and were able to get a lot of valuable playing experience against great competition.
"I love that we played in several high-pressure situations, which will only benefit us as the season progresses."
Lexi Varga led the Redbirds with a team-high 16 kills in the win over Utah, while Keene added 12 kills and a team-high five blocks. Setters Jordan Weatherless and Twing combined for 46 assists. Courtney Pence led the Redbirds with 15 digs.
Illinois State ran out to an early lead in the first set, scoring the first four points of the match. The Utes slowly chipped away at the lead, eventually tying the score at 20-20, and later taking a 22-21 lead. Illinois State scored four of the final five points in the set, finishing the set with a kill from Francis.
Utah grabbed an early advantage in the second set, shooting out to a 6-1 advantage. The Redbirds fought back to tie it at 13-13, but Utah used a 7-0 surge late to even the match at one set apiece.
Back-and-forth early, the third set turned the Redbirds' way with a 7-0 Illinois State run that turned a one-point lead into an eight-point cushion. Illinois State continued to build its lead en route to winning the most lopsided set in the match.
In the fourth set, Utah ran out to an 11-4 lead and never let up. Illinois State cut the lead down to five at 17-12, but Utah answered with three-straight points to restore an eight-point lead and sent the match to a fifth set on a kill from Carly Trueman.
Illinois State and Utah traded points early in the fifth set until Utah scored three-straight points to take a 7-5 lead. The Redbirds answered, however, with four straight to flip the two-point lead. Utah took a 13-12 lead with three-straight points, but Illinois State scored the final three points of the match, sealing the win with a kill from Keene on match point.
The Redbirds return to action next weekend at the Blue Raider Bash, hosted by Middle Tennessee, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The Redbirds will take on Seton Hall and Middle Tennessee on Friday, and Tennessee Tech Saturday. Links for live audio and stats are available at GoRedbirds.com, and fans can follow @RedbirdVB on Twitter for live updates.
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
