NORMAL, Ill. – Fresh off a second-place finish at the Redbird Classic, the Illinois State volleyball team will travel to take on in-state foe Northern Illinois in a nonconference affair Tuesday night in DeKalb. The match starts at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
Tuesday's match is Illinois State's lone nonconference match not connected to a weekend tournament. The Redbirds will play in their final nonconference tournament this weekend, as the team heads to Tucson, Arizona, to take part in the Wildcat Classic.
"We are on the rise. We put three solid performances together in a row for the first time this weekend," said Illinois State head coach Leah Johnson. "We also saw contributions off the bench that make a difference for us. If we stay in the process, we will continue to see gains at this rate. I'm very proud of the team."
Illinois State (4-5) won two of its three matches at the Redbird Classic over the weekend. Illinois State swept Dayton on Friday night, then played a pair of five-set matches on Saturday, falling first to Seton Hall before rebounding with a win over Cincinnati in the tournament finale. Redbirds Juma Armando and Jaelyn Keene were named to the all-tournament team.
Northern Illinois (0-11) has not won a match this year and has been swept in all but three matches. Illinois State's match with Northern Illinois will mark the first meeting between the teams since 2008. Illinois State owns a 32-12 all-time record against the Huskies.
Tuesday's match precedes the Redbirds' final nonconference tournament weekend. At Arizona's Wildcat Classic this weekend, the Redbirds will face New Mexico State, William & Mary and host Arizona. Illinois State will then return to Redbird Arena for its Missouri Valley Conference home opener against Missouri State on Sept. 22.
Tickets for the all Illinois State home matches are available from the Illinois State Athletics Ticket Office. 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.
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