NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State volleyball team (20-5, 12-1 MVC) will play its final two home matches of the 2018 campaign this weekend, when Drake (17-10, 5-7 MVC) and nationally-ranked UNI (18-7, 12-0 MVC) visit Redbird Arena.
The Redbirds are set for a 7 p.m. first serve against the Bulldogs on Friday night, before taking on the No. 25 Panthers at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Illinois State will recognize its five seniors – Ali Line, Courtney Pence, Jordan Weatherless, Lexi Wallen and Lexi Varga – at the conclusion of Saturday's contest.
Weekend Highlights
- Friday, Nov. 2 – 7 p.m. vs. Drake
- Honorary Coaches Night
- ISU professors, academic coordinators and influential personnel were hand-selected by each individual volleyball student-athlete to serve as an honorary coach
- These individuals, along with representatives from the University's President's Office, Board of Trustees and Athletic Council will be recognized during the contest
- Saturday, Nov. 3 – 7 p.m. vs. No. 25 UNI
- ISU students can enter to win a $250 Alamo II gift card
- First 100 students receive free sandwich, courtesy of Avanti's
- Free holiday card photo opportunity
- Fans with an ISU men's basketball game ticket from their contest against Augustana (Ill.) at 12 p.m. can bring their ticket back to the Redbird Arena box office for the volleyball match to receive free admission
- For tickets and more information, please visit GoRedbirds.com.
Scouting the Opponents
The Redbirds hold a commanding 61-11 series advantage over Drake, as Illinois State snapped a four-match losing streak against the Bulldogs, with a 3-1 win in Des Moines, Iowa, on Oct. 6. Prior to the Redbirds' victory at the beginning of the month, and the four-straight setbacks to the Bulldogs over the last two seasons, Illinois State was on a 12-match win streak against Drake.
UNI leads the all-time series over the Redbirds, 52-26, with the Panthers holding a slim 6-4 edge over the last 10 meetings. Illinois State has taken three of the last five meetings over UNI at Redbird Arena, including last season's five-set thriller when the Panthers were sitting at No. 25 in the AVCA Coaches Poll.
History in the Making
All-American libero Courtney Pence is on track to break the MVC career digs record during the 2018 regular season. The senior currently has 2,594 digs on her resume, and will need just 63 to break UNI's Ellie Blankenship's mark in the Valley record book, which was set in 2007-10. She is currently averaging 5.87 digs per set – the fifth-best average in all of NCAA Division I.
20-20 Vision
Illinois State is sitting at 20-5 overall and is currently riding an eight-match win streak. The last time the Redbirds held a similar record at this point in their season was in 2014, when Illinois State was 20-5 through its first 25 matches, before finishing the season 27-6. Prior to the 2014 campaign, the Redbirds' best start in their first 25 matches dates back to the 1992 season, when Illinois State was sitting at 22-3 and finished the year with a 30-4 mark.
First Four
Aside from the 2014 season, when the Redbirds won the league outright with an 18-0 record, the last time that Illinois State swept the regular-season series against its first four opponents dates back to 1998. That year, Illinois State opened its conference slate with four-straight wins against Missouri State, Drake, and former Valley members, Wichita State and Creighton. The Redbirds then secured four more wins over those same clubs later that season.
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
