ATHENS, Ga. – The Illinois State volleyball team (1-0) propelled past Furman (0-1) Friday night to open its season, and the Benson Hospitality Invitational, with a 3-1 match win over the Paladins.
QUOTING COACH JOHNSON
On overall performance…
"Today's match was extremely fun to watch. It was a very defensive match on both sides of the net and there was gritty effort by both teams."
On newcomers' performance, specifically Marissa Stockman and Kaylee Martin…
"Marissa (Stockman) and Kaylee (Martin) were critical for us. They were our top point scorers today. I like that they look just like they look in practice. They came and performed, and took the shots they had."
On presence at the net…
"We touched a lot at the net and I felt like once Monica (Miller) got in a grove on the right side, Furman was forced to change the way they played the game."
On serving…
"Our team does a great job at serving from anywhere on the court, to anywhere on the court, and I think that really showed today in our performance."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 >> Monica Miller and Marissa Stockman each registered a pair of blocks in the opening set for an early 11-6 lead for the Redbirds. Kaylee Martin led the team with six kills, as both sides were hitting .256 midway through the opening set. Furman pulled ahead for a 22-21 lead and closed the set with a 25-22 win.
Set 2 >> Stockman's fourth block of the game, followed by her third kill, helped the Redbirds to a quick 2-0 lead. A 3-0 scoring run with a block by Ella Francis and Ali Line, as well as a kill by Francis, pushed Illinois State ahead 17-13. Alyssa Kronberg skipped a serve over the net for one of Illinois State's eight service aces in the match to give the Redbirds a 20-13 advantage. A service ace by Lexi Wallen and Martin's 11th kill, gave the Redbirds their first set win of the 2018 season.
Set 3 >> A pair of service aces by Kendal Meier pushed the Redbirds to a 4-2 lead to open the third set. Both Meier and Stef Jankiewicz finished the match with three service aces apiece, accounting for more than half of the Redbirds' team total. Out of an Illinois State timeout, the Redbirds went on a 3-0 scoring run, as back-to-back kills by Martin and Stockman gave the Redbirds a 21-18 advantage. A pass sent over the net by Jankiewicz rolled off the foot of a Paladin to give the Redbirds an unforgettable 25-21 set win, putting Illinois State ahead, 2-1, in the match.
Set 4 >> Jankiewicz's career-high fifth kill brought the Redbirds within one of the Paladins early in the fourth set. Back-to-back kills by outside hitter Martin brought the newcomer to 15 total on the stat sheet to help Illinois State earn an 8-7 lead. A 3-0 scoring run by Furman brought the Paladins within two, but the Redbirds still held the 18-16 lead. Stockman leapt out of the building for her eighth kill of the match, as Jankiewicz's second service ace brought Illinois State to match point. Out of a Paladin timeout, another service ace by Jankiewicz gave the Redbirds their third-straight set win and a season-opening match win over Furman.
LEADING THE FLOCK
- Martin registered a match-high 18 kills on .486 hitting with just a single error in 35 total attempts.
- Stockman hit a match-high .533 with eight kills on 15 attempts to go with a match-high four blocks.
- Wallen and Courtney Pence each collected a team-high 10 digs.
STAT OF THE MATCH
- 3 >> Three Redbirds – Martin, Stockman and Jankiewicz – each turned in at least a .400 hitting percentage, as the Redbirds won their third season-opening match in five seasons.
UP NEXT
Illinois State will close its opening weekend on Saturday with a match-up against Coastal Carolina at 9 a.m. CT, before concluding the three-match invitational against the tournament host Bulldogs at 6:30 p.m. CT.
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