MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The Illinois State volleyball team (8-3) took the opening frame against No. 6 Wisconsin (7-1), before the Badgers grabbed the next three from the Redbirds, to take the match, 3-1, over Illinois State on Saturday morning at the Marquette Invitational.
QUOTING COACH JOHNSON
On the team's persistent fight against Wisconsin…
"I am really proud of the team. They are setting a mentality and they aren't wavering. In practice we talk about, that if we walk into the gym on a Monday with a different mentality than we do Friday on game day, or against No. 6 in country, or against a lesser opponent, then we are only doing ourselves a disservice. That consistency in practice is showing up right now in matches, and I'm really proud of the team's grit."
On what the team will have to do against Marquette tonight…
"The team's focus tonight will have to be the same it was against Wisconsin. The scout of Marquette versus Wisconsin wasn't revealing of what Marquette can do, so I think we have to be really sharp again. They are going to run a lot of offense up the middle, where Wisconsin used its pins. I think that's where we are going to have to defend better. We are going to keep serving tough with the same Redbird mentality."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 >> Marissa Stockman and Ali Line each registered a kill for Illinois State to start the match, while a service ace from Monica Miller brought the Redbirds within two of the Badgers, trailing 7-5. Both teams exchanged points on service errors, but a pair of hitting errors by Wisconsin had Illinois State within three points at the midway point. A kill by Miller kept the Redbirds' momentum going, and a kill by Stockman in the next play, had Illinois State within one to force Wisconsin to use a timeout. In a match that featured six ties and three lead changes, a tip over the block by Line had the set tied at 17-all. The Badgers used their final timeout when Illinois State pulled out to a 21-19 advantage, before a block by Lexi Varga and Stockman sealed the opening set, 25-22, for the Redbirds.
Set 2 >> Wisconsin opened the second set on a 4-0 scoring run to take the lead over the Redbirds. Out of the break, a kill by Kaylee Martin put the ball into the hands of the Redbirds, but the Badgers responded with another scoring run to hold a 7-1 lead early. Illinois State got a point back on a kill from Varga, but the Badgers kept swinging at the Redbirds to hold a 10-2 advantage. Illinois State dug themselves out of the eight point deficit with kills from Martin and Varga to come within five of Wisconsin. Varga continued to make an impact during the second set, as the senior was a part of three-straight points for the Redbirds, but the Badgers pulled away for the 25-14 second-set win to level the match at one-set apiece.
Set 3 >> Line tallied two quick kills for the Redbirds in the third set to have Illinois State within two of the Badgers for six kills in the match on .417 hitting. A kill by Martin had the Redbirds within one, but Wisconsin responded and scored three-straight points to force Illinois State to call a timeout, trailing 12-8. Three kills by Stockman, and a Wisconsin hitting error, brought the Redbirds within one to force Wisconsin to burn a timeout. The Badgers' 11th hitting error knot the set up at 14-all. Back-to- back kills by Varga brought Illinois State within one trailing, as the Redbirds trailed 17-16. Wisconsin answered with a 3-0 scoring run to reach 20 first, before securing the third set, 25-20.
Set 4 >> Illinois State continued to battle, but Wisconsin jumped out to an 8-3 lead early on in the fourth set, despite kills from Martin, Varga and Sydney Holt. Varga dropped an overpass on the Badgers' side of the net, resulting in her 12th kill of the match. After a 5-0 scoring run by Wisconsin, the Badgers jumped out to a 15-7 lead. Stockman's 10th kill of the game helped the freshman reach double digits in the category for the second time this season, both coming against nationally-ranked opponents. Illinois State responded with a scoring run of their own on a pair of kills from Stockman, and one by Varga, to draw within four of Wisconsin, but the Badgers closed on a 9-3 run to take the fourth set, 25-15.
LEADING THE FLOCK
UP NEXT
Illinois State will wrap up the Marquette Invitational tonight at 7 p.m. against the tournament host, and nationally-ranked, Golden Eagles.
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