SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Illinois State volleyball team (13-9, 6-4 MVC) dropped a hard-fought battle on the road at Missouri State (7-18, 4-7 MVC) on Saturday night, falling in four sets.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 >> A kill by Kaylee Martin kickstarted a 5-0 scoring run in the opening set, as the Redbirds held a 12-10 advantage over MSU with Sydney Holt behind the service line. The Redbirds kept their lead on a block by Emmy Ogogor and Monica Miller, before the Bears clawed their way back to level the set at 14-all. The back-and-forth battled continued, until MSU pulled ahead to take a 19-16 lead, forcing the Redbirds to use their final timeout. Allie Otten delivered the team's second ace with the Bears sitting at set point, before MSU sealed the opening frame, 25-23.
Set 2 >> The Bears carried their scoring run into the second set, before Holt's second ace of the match brought the Redbirds within one. A block by Lynch and Ogogor evened the set at six-all, before ISU surged ahead for an 8-6 lead on Ogogor's third kill. MSU used its final timeout with the Redbirds leading 16-8 on a block by Miller and Holt. A kill by Martin pushed ISU to set point, before a serving error by the Bears helped the Redbirds secure the second set, 25-17.
Set 3 >> Missouri State opened on a 4-0 scoring run to start the third, before back-to-back kills by Martin knot the set at 10-all. An Ogogor kill knot the set at 12-all, as MSU responded with another run to hold a three-point advantage over the Redbirds. MSU jumped out to a 19-14 lead, before ISU chipped away at its deficit to come within two on a solo block by Holt – her career-high eighth stuff of the match. ISU took its first lead of the set, sitting at a 25-24 advantage, before the Bears fought back for a 27-25 third-set win out of an MSU timeout.
Set 4 >> Illinois State opened on a 4-1 run, forcing the Bears to use a timeout early. Out of the break, MSU responded with a scoring run of its own to hold a slim one-point advantage over the Redbirds. ISU used its first timeout of the set, trailing by three, before calling its final timeout sitting at a 18-16 deficit. Martin's match-leading 14th kill helped the Redbirds crawl back to tie the set at 19, before Holt's team-leading third service ace pushed ISU out in front. Neither team waivered closing in on the set, as the Bears held on for a 29-27 fourth-set win.
LEADING THE FLOCK
UP NEXT
Illinois State will kick off the month of November on its home court, when they host Bradley at 6 p.m. Â
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