INDIANAPOLIS – Illinois State never trailed in its opening round match of the Top Dawg Challenge on Friday, as the Redbirds (3-1) powered past the Eastern Illinois Panthers (2-3), 3-0, for their second sweep of the 2018 season.
QUOTING COACH JOHNSON
Overall thoughts on the match…
"I liked the way we controlled sets one and two. We played hard and played with the same level of intensity from start to finish, and I think EIU did a nice job improving throughout the match and forcing us to make adjustments. I think it was good for us to use some diverse lineups, which is what we do in practice every day, so that was a positive. I like that we are in tight moments and we just have to make sure that we get better in those situations."
On Stef Jankiewicz's double-double…
"A lot of opponent's game plans will include targeting the setter, and Stef (Jankiewicz) holds her own back there and she has gotten better. I think that that is an area of improvement for her from last year to this year, and she is digging more balls with range and she is more invested in the defensive side of the game, so I am really pleased with her performance today."
On biggest challenge that await the team tomorrow…
"We have to get better every point and I think we are playing steady. I think today was maybe the least steady we've played, but I feel confident that the team is dialed in and going to be sharp for the match. Butler is physical, Auburn is physical and fast, but it is all about playing Redbird volleyball and not worrying about the opponent."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 >> Illinois State jumped out to an 11-4 lead to start the match, forcing Eastern Illinois to use their first timeout. Out of the break, the Panthers scored a pair of points, but a kill by Kaylee Martin kept the Redbirds at a six-point advantage. Eastern Illinois came within two-points of Illinois State, but an overpass by the Panthers, turned into Ali Line's fifth kill of the match, pushed the Redbirds back out to a 19-15 lead. Illinois State went on a 6-1 run to close the opening set, giving the Redbirds a first-set 25-16 win to open the Top Dawg Challenge. The Redbird defense held Eastern Illinois to a .054 hitting percentage, while hitting .359 as a team.
Set 2 >> The Illinois State momentum continued on both sides, as the Redbirds continued its offensive run to start the second set, scoring nine-straight going back to the first set, to hold an early 3-0 lead over the Panthers. Eastern Illinois responded and started to linger within a couple points of the Redbirds, until Illinois State jumped out to a 14-10 advantage and would go on a 7-1 run to force the Panthers to call their last timeout. A kill by Lexi Varga helped the Redbirds to a 25-15 second-set win and a 36-19 advantage in the team kills column, as Illinois State was hitting at a .443 clip.
Set 3 >> The Panthers tied the match at five-all, and came within one point of the Redbirds on a couple occasions in the third set, but Illinois State never lost its lead, holding a 14-10 advantage at the midway point. A 5-2 run by Eastern Illinois brought the Panthers back within one, as the Redbirds called a timeout to regroup. Varga's sixth kill of the match put the Redbirds ahead 19-15, but Eastern Illinois responded out of the timeout with four-straight points to knot the set at 19-all. The Redbirds never trailed and used a 25-23 third-set win to pull off their second sweep of 2018.
LEADING THE FLOCK
STAT OF THE MATCH
- Stef Jankiewicz finished the match with 39 assists and 11 digs for her first double-double of the season.
UP NEXT
Illinois State will conclude the Top Dawg Challenge tomorrow, when it faces Auburn to start the morning at 9 a.m. CT, before taking on tournament host Butler in the nightcap at 6 p.m. CT.
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics, tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
