ISU Volleyball Set to Host MVC Tournament Beginning Thursday

NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State volleyball team will be among six Missouri Valley Conference schools competing for the league's tournament title and automatic NCAA Tournament berth when the Redbirds host the MVC Tournament, Thursday through Saturday, at Redbird Arena.

Illinois State (20-11, 13-5 MVC) earned the No. 3 seed for the tournament and will open play Thursday against No. 6 seed Valparaiso (17-15, 8-10). The match is set for a 7:30 p.m. start, and will follow the quarterfinal match between No. 4 seed Drake (23-9, 12-6) and No. 5 Indiana State (10-20, 8-10), set to begin at 5 p.m.

The winner of Illinois State-Valpo will face No. 2 seed UNI (25-7, 15-3) Friday in a 7:30 p.m. semifinal, after the winner of Drake-Indiana State takes on top-seeded Missouri State – ranked No. 25 in the latest AVCA Coaches' Poll – at 5 p.m. Friday.

The semifinal winners will meet in the MVC Tournament championship match at 4 p.m. Saturday. 

"The team has worked diligently all season preparing for this opportunity," said Illinois State head coach Leah Johnson. "We are playing our best volleyball right now; it is perfect timing as we head into postseason. We are excited to be hosting the MVC Tournament in Redbird Arena and hope to see our fans out in full support."

Illinois State enters the tournament riding a five-match winning streak, equaling the team's longest of the season. The Redbirds swept both matches they played at Redbird Arena over the weekend as they dispatched Indiana State in straight sets Friday before earning a sweep of Evansville Saturday to close out the regular season.

The Redbirds won both previous meeting with Valpo this season, overcoming a 0-2 deficit against the Crusaders in a match at Redbird Arena on Oct. 7 before sweeping at Valpo on Nov. 3.

If the Redbirds advance past Valpo on Thursday, they'll face a UNI team they split with during the regular season. Illinois State won the most recent meeting, a five-set thriller at Redbird Arena on Oct. 27 that marked Illinois State's first win over a nationally-ranked program in nearly 14 years.

Fans can purchase both all-session and single-session 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.

Student Affairs at Illinois State University is sponsoring 100 free student tickets to each Illinois State match in the tournament. The tickets can be claimed in person at the Redbird Arena Ticket Office with an Illinois State student ID.

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