NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State volleyball team will begin its second season under the direction of head coach Leah Johnson this weekend, as the Redbirds flock south for the Benson Hospitality Invitational, hosted by the University of Georgia, Aug. 24-25.
Illinois State will open the 2018 season Friday night against Furman at 4 p.m. CT, before a pair of tests against Coastal Carolina and the tournament-host Bulldogs await the Redbirds on Saturday.
Scouting the Opponents
The Furman Paladins and the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers were each picked to win the Southern Conference and Sun Belt East, respectively, in a preseason poll completed by the leagues' head volleyball coaches. The Georgia Bulldogs were selected to finish fourth overall in the SEC's preseason coaches' poll earlier this summer. This will be just the second meeting between the Redbirds and Paladins, as Illinois State swept Furman in 1999. The last time Georgia and Illinois State met, the match went five sets back in 2002 to give the Bulldogs a 2-1 series advantage. This will be the first meeting in program history between the Redbirds and Coastal Carolina.
Won't Back Down
The Redbirds are no stranger to tough competition. Illinois State is set to face seven postseason teams from a year ago, including six programs that made it to the Division I Volleyball NCAA Tournament in 2017 and two that advanced to the second round. Ten of Illinois State's opponents finished the 2017 season in the top-75 RPI, while 10 teams on the Redbirds' slate each finished with 20-plus win seasons and four of those programs were conference champions.
Familiar Faces
The Redbirds bring five starters back to the court in 2018 - Courtney Pence, Stef Jankiewicz, Ali Line, Sydney Holt and Lexi Wallen. The trio of Line, Holt and Wallen combined for 363 sets played, 666 kills and 149 blocks in 2017, as well as 36 percent of ISU's scoring.
Fresh Faces
Illinois State loses a key assist in its offensive production with the graduation of Jaelyn Keene, but the Redbirds will look to continue its strength at the net with the addition of freshmen Taylor Lynch and Marissa Stockman. Kaylee Martin, a transfer from Northern Illinois, will also look to contribute immediately in the outside hitter position, with rookie defensive specialist Carley Nicholson and Memphis transfer Alyssa Kronberg in the back row.
Final Tune-Up
The Redbirds hosted DePaul for an exhibition match on Saturday, Aug. 18, at Redbird Arena. Stef Jankiewicz record five of the team's seven service aces, while also leading the team in assists. Newcomer Kaylee Martin and senior Lexi Varga each reached double-digit kills, hitting .429 and .474, respectively. As a team, Illinois State held DePaul to a .160 hitting percentage, while the Redbirds hit at a .412 efficiency.
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