CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The Illinois State volleyball team (12-5, 4-1 MVC) suffered its first setback of the Missouri Valley Conference slate on Friday night, falling in three sets to the UNI Panthers (11-6, 5-0 MVC).
QUOTING COACH JOHNSON
On what adjustments the team will need to make for tomorrow's match at Drake…
"We just need to get back to Redbird mentality. As a team, we need to continue to be balanced offensively, be the aggressor in the match and trust our game and who we are as a team."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 >> UNI opened the match with three-straight points, before a net violation by the Panthers gave the Redbirds possession for the first time. The Panthers quickly regained momentum to score the next three for an early 6-1 lead. Illinois State libero Courtney Pence tallied her fourth kill of the season to start a 4-0 run by the Redbirds to have Illinois State within one. An overpass by Alyssa Kronberg marked the second kill by a defensive specialist in the match, as it started another run by the Redbirds. A block by Marissa Stockman and Lexi Varga had the set knotted at nine-all, before UNI held a 15-11 lead at the media break. A kill by Ali Line brought the Redbirds within one, but UNI closed the opening frame with a 25-19 win.
Set 2 >> The Panthers committed an attack error to help the Redbirds level the set at five-all, before a kill by Kaylee Martin helped put the ball back in the Redbirds' hands, as Illinois State trailed by four. An overpass by the Panthers resulted in a kill by Stockman to bring Illinois State back within two. Freshman Carley Nicholson notched her fifth service ace in three outings, before a ball-handling error by UNI leveled the set at 14-all. A kill by Sydney Holt ended a scrappy rally between the two teams for a 21-17 Illinois State advantage, forcing the Panthers to use a timeout. UNI closed in on the Redbirds, before coming back to take the second set, 26-24.
Set 3 >> UNI opened the third set on a 6-2 run, despite Illinois State kills from Francis and Line. An overpass by UNI turned into another kill by Stockman to have the Redbirds within four, forcing UNI to use a timeout, with Illinois State trailing 12-8. Out of the break, the Panthers went on a scoring run, before a UNI service error and Stockman's fifth kill of the match, cut into the UNI lead. An attack error by UNI helped Illinois State regain possession, but the Panthers captured the third set, 25-12, and the match.
LEADING THE FLOCK
STAT OF THE MATCH
- Sophomore Stef Jankiewicz notched her seventh double-double of the season with 11 digs and 20 assists.
UP NEXT
Illinois State will finish its two-match trip to Iowa on Saturday at Drake. First serve between the Redbirds and the Bulldogs is set for 7 p.m. at the Knapp Center.
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