NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State volleyball team (11-4, 3-0 MVC) remained perfect in Missouri Valley Conference play with its third-straight three-set win on Friday night with a sweep of the Evansville Purple Aces (6-11, 0-4 MVC).
QUOTING COACH JOHNSON
Overall thoughts on the match…
"I was really pleased with how we executed our game plan. We knew that Evansville would come out with different lineup, and it was about sticking to our plan and sticking to our style of play. I thought we were efficient and effective. We hit .341 for the match with seven blocks. Our middles were dominate in transition, our pins were dominate inside out. It was just really clean volleyball on the Redbird side."
On what it felt like being back at Redbird Arena…
"It is really nice. We have worked really hard, and the athletes have been invested on the journey on the road, knowing it can bring great reward at the end of the season. There's nothing like being back here. It was amazing seeing the student section and the athletes' peers cheering them on. The energy was awesome and it is great to be home."
On Stef Jankiewicz's serving game in the second set…
"Behind the service line, Stef has found a different groove. Her consistency is the trend we are noticing this year. She is dialed in in a new way and she stayed focused during the whole match tonight. Stef maintained her composure and stuck to the Redbird mentality."
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 >> Ali Line set the tone early for the Redbirds, registering a trio of kills to go with a block with Illinois State leading, 11-7. Back-to-back overpasses by the Purple Aces resulted in two quick kills for Marissa Stock to give the Redbirds a 14-7 advantage. An attack error, followed by a service ace from Carley Nicholson, forced Evansville to use a timeout with Illinois State sitting out in front, 19-9. Out of the break, the Redbirds tallied the next three points to sit at a 22-9 lead, before grabbing the opening set, 25-13. Â
Set 2 >> Sydney Holt made her first appearance in Redbird Arena this season, starting the second set and putting Illinois State on the board first. The Purple Aces tallied the next four points to hold a 4-1 lead over the Redbirds, before a ball-handling error by Evansville helped Illinois State regain control. The Redbirds closed the second set on a 12-0 run to take a 2-0 match lead with a 25-9 second-set win, with Line hitting a team-high .462 with seven kills and Stef Jankiewicz controlling the serving game behind the line.
Set 3 >> The Redbirds' run continued in the third set, as a pair of kills by Ella Francis had Illinois State sitting at a 4-0 lead to force the Purple Aces to use their first timeout. Illinois State scored 20-straight points, before a service error by the Redbirds helped Evansville score its first point of the set, trailing the Redbirds, 8-1. The Redbirds regained control immediately, with two more kills by Francis, as the junior was up to seven in the match on .375 hitting. With Illinois State ahead, 18-5, the Redbirds were hitting .414 as a team, while the Purple Aces were sitting at -.176, before securing the third set, 25-11.
LEADING THE FLOCK
UP NEXT
The Redbirds have tabbed Saturday as their "Pack the Arena" night. Admission is free for all fans for the 7 p.m. contest against the Sycamores, and will feature a free pre-match yoga session in the Legend's Room at Redbird Arena beginning at 6 p.m. Those that are interested in participating in the yoga are required to bring their own yoga mat. Illinois State's new clear bag policy will be in effect for the yoga session. For more details, please visit GoRedbirds.com/ClearBagPolicy. For kids, there will be a Fun Zone located on the concourse, featuring various games and activities.
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
