CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The Illinois State volleyball team (11-7, 4-2 MVC) handed UNI (12-9, 6-1 MVC) its first Missouri Valley Conference loss of the season on Saturday night.
The Redbirds' victory at the McLeod Center was the first for the program since the 2016 season, and the first of head coach Leah Johnson's playing and coaching career. Additionally, the last four wins against the Panthers for ISU have all been five-set victories.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 >> Taylor Lynch returned to her hometown and registered her first career of the night to bring ISU within one, trailing 7-6. Back-to-back blocks by Lynch and Sydney Holt gave the Redbirds their first lead, holding on to the 10-9 advantage. At the media timeout, ISU held a 15-13 advantage on a UNI serving error. The Panthers responded with a 3-0 scoring run to lead by one, but out of an ISU-called timeout, the back-and-forth battle continued. A block by Kaylee Martin and Emmy Ogogor brought the Redbirds back within one, before UNI held on for the 25-23 opening-set win.
Set 2 >> A block by Ogogor and Lynch helped the Redbirds take an early lead in the second. ISU opened on a 7-3 run behind kills from Lynch, Ogogor and Martin to force UNI to call an early timeout. Holt's fifth kill on an overpass by the Panthers, followed by a service ace by Sarah Kushner, extended ISU's lead to six. A challenge called by head coach Leah Johnson made it 17-13 in favor of the Redbirds, before UNI responded to come within two. A block by Holt and Kushner pushed ISU to a 20-17 advantage, as the Redbirds sealed the second set, 25-21, on Holt's seventh kill.
Set 3 >> A kill by Holt helped the Redbirds grab an early 6-5 lead. The Panthers' scoring run continued to give UNI a 13-8 advantage, before ISU responded with a 3-0 scoring run to cut into its deficit. UNI jumped back out to a two-point lead before a kill on the slide by Ogogor brought the ball back into the hands of the Redbirds. A scrappy defensive play brought ISU within one, trailing 20-19. Martin soared above the net to level the set at 20-all, but UNI held on for the 25-22 win to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
Set 4 >> A scramble play by the Redbirds finished with a kill from Kushner to make it 6-3 in favor of the Redbirds. UNI called its first timeout of the set after Lynch registered her ninth kill of the match and an 8-3 lead for ISU. The Panthers responded with a 9-1 scoring run, before a kill and ace delivered by Kushner stopped UNI's momentum. A pair of kills from the rookie and a service ace by Weimerskirch leveled the set at 19-all, before another ace by the Redbirds gave ISU a 21-20 lead. UNI crawled back to knot the set at 23-all, but a kill by Martin helped ISU complete the comeback and take the fourth set, 26-24.
Set 5 >> The teams exchanged points early on, as a solo block by Martin leveled the set at four-all. A block by Ogogor and Lynch helped ISU jump out to a 6-4 advantage, before a UNI attacking error helped the Redbirds sit at three-point lead going into the side change. The Panthers scored four unanswered points to come within one of ISU, but Martin's 15th kill pushed the Redbirds out in front, 13-12. UNI crawled back to hold a 15-14 lead, but ISU kept grinding to pull off the 19-17 win.
UP NEXT
Illinois State will return to Redbird Arena next weekend to host Loyola Chicago and Valparaiso, before closing the month of October at Southern Illinois and Missouri State.
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