TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Illinois State volleyball team (19-5, 11-1 MVC) notched its 12th sweep of the season Friday night with a straight-set win over Indiana State (8-16, 1-11 MVC) to win its seventh-straight match.
QUOTING COACH JOHNSON
On how she thought the team performed playing its first road match in 20 days…
"We played really well tonight. I think Indiana State gave us a really nice set one and I thought we kept our composure. I thought we played cleaner tonight, and I think we played our cleanest volleyball at the end of each set. Where I was most impressed with our offense is that we found different ways to score."
On Lexi Wallen's performance off the bench…
 "Lexi (Wallen) came in focused and prepared. She puts in the time after every practice and every individual workout, and she knew how she would be able to come in and score tonight. I feel like we didn't skip a beat, because she came in and played with confidence."
On what the team will have to do against Evansville tomorrow…
"We are going to have to defend their pins. They score a lot from the left and right side, so we will have to be able to defend that. We are also going to have to serve and pass well. We will have to be in-system against this team."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 >> The Redbirds opened on a 4-1 run, with Kaylee Martin behind the service line. The Sycamores climbed back to level the set at six-all, before Monica Miller's second kill of the match gave the ball back to Illinois State. The teams exchanged points back-and-forth, as a kill put away by Marissa Stockman helped the Redbirds regain the lead, 11-10. A service error by Indiana State pushed the Redbirds back out in front, as Illinois State held a one-point advantage at the media break. Back-to-back kills, courtesy of Ali Line and Stef Jankiewicz, forced the Sycamores to call their first timeout, with the Redbirds out in front by a pair. Two more quick points out of the break pushed Illinois State to a 20-16 advantage, as Indiana State followed with its final timeout. Out of the break, Alyssa Kronberg notched a service ace to continue Illinois State's run, as the Redbirds opened with a 25-19 win. This first-set victory marks the seventh-straight match that Illinois State has taken a 1-0 advantage to start.
Set 2 >> With Martin back behind the service line, Illinois State jumped out to a 7-2 lead, forcing Indiana State to call a timeout. A Sycamore attack error, followed by Stockman's sixth kill pushed the Redbirds to a seven-point advantage, before Indiana State regained possession. The Sycamores tallied a pair of points, but a kill by Miller put the ball back into the hands of the Redbirds. Senior Lexi Wallen started the second set for Illinois State, and tallied her first kill of the match on an overpass by Indiana State for a 13-4 Redbird lead and Sycamore timeout. Indiana State started to chip away at the Redbirds' lead, as Illinois State used its first timeout of the match after a Sycamore service ace, still holding a 17-12 lead. Out of the break, Illinois State regained control on a kill by Stockman, and was the first team to reach 20 on another kill by the freshman. The Redbirds took a 2-0 lead in the match, after securing the second set on Line's fifth kill for a 25-14 set win.
Set 3 >> Back-to-back kills by Martin had the Redbirds out in front early. Illinois State remained in control early, as a pair of hitting errors by the Sycamores kept the Redbirds in the lead. Indiana State took its first lead of the set as part of a 4-0 scoring run, forcing the Redbirds to use a timeout, trailing 8-7. Out of the break, a bad set by the Sycamores leveled the set at eight-all, before a block by Martin and Stockman helped Illinois State to a 10-8 lead. The Redbirds settled into their offense and jumped out to their largest lead of the set – five points – on Miller's match-high 13th kill, for a 15-10 lead over the home team. After a pair of Illinois State errors, Stockman registered her ninth kill to give some life back to the Redbirds. Illinois State captured the third set, 25-16, on a kill by Martin to pull off the season sweep of the Sycamores and win its seventh-straight match.
LEADING THE FLOCK
UP NEXT
Illinois State will wrap up its two-match road trip in Indiana tomorrow night with a 7 p.m. CT first serve at Evansville.
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