WACO, Texas – Just a few hours after a marathon match with No. 15 Florida State, the Redbirds fell to Baylor in their final match at the Hampton Inn & Suites Waco North Baylor Invitational Saturday at the Ferrell Center. Baylor won by scores of 25-9, 25-15, 25-19.
Jaelyn Keene and Machayla Leonard tallied five kills each to lead Illinois State. Stef Jankiewicz dished out 15 assists. Courtney Pence racked up 18 digs.
The loss came after the Redbirds lost a five-set thriller to Florida State earlier Saturday.
"We gave our best effort to fight through the fatigue," said Illinois State head coach Leah Johnson. "Baylor played fast and clean and we struggled to keep pace. I am encouraged by how our team stayed in it despite the outcome.
"We had an excellent tournament and learned a ton about our potential. This group is driven to rise to its full potential."
Baylor sprinted out to an early lead in the first set. A six-point run midway through the set gave the Bears a 15-6 lead. Illinois State was unable to string together more than two points at any point in the set, which Baylor finished off with five-straight points.
The Bears then scored the first seven points of the second set. The Redbirds fought back and cut the deficit to three at 10-7, but Baylor answered with the next four points to pull away and take a 2-0 lead in the match.
The third set was the closet of the match, but another Baylor midset run helped the Bears pull away. With a two-point lead at 14-12, Baylor ran off five points in a row to take control. The Bears then matched the Redbirds point-for-point to get to match point and finish off the win.
The Redbirds return to action next weekend at the Marcia E. Hamilton Classic, hosted by Saint Louis. The tournament schedule and links to live stats are available 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.
