NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State volleyball team (13-7, 6-2 MVC) will look to continue its four-match win streak on the road this weekend, as it travels to Southern Illinois (11-12, 3-6 MVC) and Missouri State (5-18, 2-7 MVC) to begin the second half of Missouri Valley Conference competition.
The Redbirds are set to square off with the Salukis at 6 p.m. on Friday, before returning to the court on Saturday to take on the Bears at 6 p.m.
Scouting the Opponents
Illinois State holds a commanding 77-12 series advantage over Southern Illinois, taking the last six matches from the Salukis with five of those being straight-set wins. In the Redbirds' first meeting with SIU this season, Kaylee Martin tallied a match-high 14 kills behind .355 hitting, while Sarah Kushner registered a double-double with 10 kills and 10 digs. The Salukis enter this weekend with a 3-6 conference record, breaking a five-match losing skid on Monday with a five-set win over Missouri State.
Missouri State holds a slim 53-50 series edge over the Redbirds, despite Illinois State sweeping the Bears in the last three outings between the two programs. Earlier this season, Martin notched a three-set career-high 20 kills on an impressive .621 hitting – a single-game season-best recorded by a Redbird. The Bears enter the weekend with a 2-7 mark in league play, securing their only pair of MVC wins against Drake and Indiana State.
Second Half Success
The Redbirds will enter the second half of league play this weekend with a 6-2 record, sitting at No. 3 in the MVC standings. Illinois State will play Indiana State twice in the second half, with its first contest slated for Nov. 4 on the road. In Leah Johnson's tenure, the Redbirds are 15-3 in the second half of conference competition and 20-6 in the first half, including this season. Illinois State has compiled a .795 winning percentage, and 35-9 record, during MVC play in Johnson's three years at the helm.
Unmatched Middles
Middle blockers Sydney Holt and Emmy Ogogor have been lights out for the Redbirds during conference play, sitting at No. 3 and No. 5, respectively, in hitting percentage in the Valley. With the top two hitting percentages on the Redbird roster, they've also commanded the ISU block, each averaging over 1.00 blocks per set to lead the team. Holt is hitting .339 during league matches, while Ogogor is sitting at a .290 average.
Undefeated No More
Illinois State handed its second-straight opponent their first conference loss on Friday night, taking down Loyola in four sets after winning a five-set thriller at UNI on Oct. 12. The Ramblers were the last undefeated team in conference play, entering the match with an untouched 6-0 record. With its win over Loyola, the Redbirds moved to 24-3 all-time and extended their win streak to eight matches against the Ramblers.
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