SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A career night from Juma Armando helped Illinois State push league-leading Missouri State to four sets, the Redbirds ultimately fell short Saturday night at Hammons Student Center, falling by scores of 25-20, 22-25, 25-22, 25-18. The loss snapped Illinois State's season-best five-match winning streak.
"The score doesn't indicate how long each rally was," head coach Leah Johnson said. "It was defensive, offensive, and strategic. We made adjustments and executed the game plan. I'm really proud of how we played. This is our bar now. If we continue to improve, I'm confident in where we'll be at the end of the season."
In her second career start, Armando led the Redbirds' attack, posting a career-high 22 kills in the match. Jaelyn Keene and Ella Francis chipped in 12 kills apiece. Stef Jankiewicz logged her 11th double-double of the season, assisting 46 with 20 digs. Courtney Pence anchored the Redbird back line with a team-best 34 digs.
"We took a risk this weekend, changing our lineup," Johnson said. "We had position tournaments this week in practice for the starting spots and Juma won the spot. She made the adjustments and competed well tonight."
For the Bears, Lily Johnson sparked the offense with 18 kills, while collecting 27 digs. Setter Daniele Messa logged her third double-double, assisting on 27 kills with 18 digs.
The Redbirds led early, taking a 6-4 advantage to start. However, the Bears went on a 5-0 run and didn't look back. Illinois State fought to keep the score within two, but a Lily Johnson service run propelled the Bears to the 25-20 victory.
Illinois State (14-10, 7-4 MVC) jumped to a 4-1 lead to begin the second frame. A block by Francis, Ali Line, and Jankiewicz, before a Jankiewicz ace, gave the Redbirds an 8-4 lead and forced Missouri State to take the first timeout of the set. The Bears called their second timeout as Illinois State extended its lead to 14-10. Missouri State (18-5, 10-0) managed to tie up the set at 21-all, but a Francis kill sealed the 25-22 win to even up the match.
The Redbirds picked up where they left off, taking a 4-1 lead in the third set. Missouri State and Illinois State battled throughout the set with neither team taking more than a two-point lead after the 10-point mark. Armando led the Redbirds in the frame, reaching a new single-match career-high kills total in the set. Despite the career night, the Bears persevered to claim a 25-22 win in the third set.
Missouri State took a commanding lead to begin the fourth set, forcing Illinois State to use both timeouts early. The Redbirds fought back to tie up the frame at 14-all and 15-all, but the Bears pulled away to clinch the 25-18 win, extending their Valley win streak to 26 matches.
The Redbirds return to action next weekend with a pair of matches at Redbird Arena. Illinois State hosts No. 25 Northern Iowa on Friday and Drake on Saturday. Fans can purchase tickets online at GoRedbirds.com/Tickets, by calling (309) 438-8000, or by visiting the ticket office, located at the north entrance to Redbird Arena.
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
