MILWAUKEE, Wis. – It was an offensive war between Illinois State (25-8) and Cincinnati (26-7) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, as the Redbirds hit .351 and the Bearcats hit over .400. Illinois State until the very end, as Cincinnati held on for the straight-set win.
Newcomers Kaylee Martin and Marissa Stockman led the way for the Redbirds, as Martin registered a career-high 17 kills and Stockman hit at a season-high .750 clip.
QUOTING COACH JOHNSON
Opening statement…
"I want to start by saying congratulations to Cincinnati. I thought they played a great match. Secondly, I want to say how proud I am of our team. We put a lot of work in this year and we saw three attackers in double digit kill. Offensively, we hit .351 to their (Cincinnati) .400 – that's an incredible display of offense. That's NCAA Tournament volleyball. I am very proud of how these women played, and those in the locker room, and I am very proud to be a Redbird."
On what the team's success in 2018 means for the program…
"Initially, I want to give kudos to our senior class. They really set the bar in the offseason, because success starts before the first whistle blows in August. In January, they accepted the challenge of training in a new style during the offseason, both in the practice gym and in their conditioning, and that's a championship mentality. You build that mental toughness, you build that comradery, you work your tails off before there's even a match on the line. That transferred into season and I thought they did a great job keeping this team focused on our goal in the hardest of matches and in the matches we were supposed to win. Our senior leadership was phenomenal, and that set the tone for the future."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 >> Quick kills by Marissa Stockman and Ali Line helped the Redbirds jump on the board first for an early run. Illinois State used its first timeout, as Cincinnati started a 4-0 run for a 7-3 lead. Out of the break, Lexi Wallen registered her first kill of the match to put the ball back into the hands of the Redbirds. A laser serve to the back corner by Stef Jankiewicz gave Illinois State its first ace of the match, bringing the Redbirds within two of the Bearcats. Stockman registered her second kill of the match, but then the Redbirds committed an attack error, as Illinois State used its final timeout, trailing 21-16. With Cincinnati sitting at set point, Illinois State continued to fight with Kaylee Martin's team-high fifth kill, but the Bearcats held on for a 25-19 opening-set win.
Set 2 >> Martin started Illinois State's offense in the second set, tallying a pair of quick kills to keep the Redbirds within two points of Cincinnati. Back-to-back attack errors by the Bearcats leveled the set at eight-all, before Martin's eighth kill pushed Illinois State ahead 9-8 and forced Cincinnati to use its first timeout as part of a 4-0 scoring run by the Redbirds. Illinois State kept its lead behind kills from newcomers Martin and Stockman, as the Redbirds jumped out to its largest lead – four points – with a 14-10 advantage. The Redbirds were forced to take a timeout, holding a slim 18-17 lead over the Bearcats. Out of the break, the Bearcats took a one-point lead as part of a 4-0 scoring run. A kill by Ella Francis broke Cincinnati's run, bringing Illinois State back within a single point, but the Bearcats took a 2-0 lead in the match with a 25-22 win in the second set.
Set 3 >> It was a back-and-forth battle to start the third, as the two teams exchanged points with each other. The third set featured seven ties before either team reached 10, as the Bearcats held a slim 10-8 advantage. With Cincinnati's fifth attack error, the frame was leveled for the eighth time and the Bearcats called their first timeout. A block on the outside by Martin and Line tied the set up at 14-all, before Line's 10th kill helped the Redbirds take a two-point lead. Martin reached 17 kills in a 5-0 scoring run by Illinois State, forcing Cincinnati to burn its final timeout with the Redbirds ahead, 17-14. The Bearcats responded with a 3-0 run to even the set at 18-all, as Illinois State called its first timeout of the set. The fight continued and the Redbirds used their final timeout, trailing by one. With Courtney Pence behind the service line, and the set tied at 21-all, Illinois State took a 22-21 lead with a Cincinnati hitting error, but the Bearcats held on for a 25-22 win.
LEADING THE FLOCK
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