NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State volleyball team (9-7, 2-2 MVC) will finish its leg of a four-match road swing this weekend, when it flocks to Iowa to take on Drake and UNI. The Redbirds are set for a 6 p.m. first serve against the Bulldogs on Friday, before taking on the Panthers at 5 p.m. on Saturday.
Scouting the Opponents
Illinois State holds the 63-11 series advantage over Drake, pulling off a trio of wins last season against the Bulldogs. The Redbirds' three victories last season ended a four-match skid against the Bulldogs, after winning 12 straight from 2010 to 2015. Drake enters the match-up with a 7-11 overall record and 1-4 mark in Valley play, dropping its last four conference games to Evansville, Loyola, Southern Illinois and Missouri State.
UNI controls the series versus the Redbirds, 53-27, despite Illinois State capturing a pair of nationally-ranked wins over the Panthers the past two seasons. In 2017, ISU picked up its first win over a nationally-ranked opponent in nearly 14 years before doing it again in 2018 to finish with just its second undefeated season on their home court in program history. UNI enters the weekend with an 11-8 overall record and a perfect 5-0 start to conference play. In the past 12 seasons, the Panthers have started MVC action at least 5-0 in every season but three.
Set's Up
Junior setter Stef Jankiewicz continued to drive Illinois State's offense last week to a combined .230 hitting percentage, averaging 11.60 assists per set. Jankiewicz currently ranks fourth in all of NCAA Division I in total assists with 688 this season and seventh all-time in program history at ISU with 3,438. The Farmington Hills, Michigan, native tallied a pair of double-doubles to bring her to 10 on the season, while matching a career high 64 assists and 21 digs at Bradley on Friday.
Soarin', Flyin'
Outside hitter Kaylee Martin continued to shine for the Redbirds, registering a pair of double-digit kill performances last week to lead the offensive charge for ISU. Martin's 263 total kills this season ranks 17th in all of NCAA Division I, while her single-season kills per set average of 4.05 ranks 18th all-time at Illinois State. She is also sitting in the top-25 in the NCAA with 291 total points – the 23rd most among Division I players.
On the Road Again
Illinois State is in the middle of its toughest part of the conference slate, wrapping up a four-game road stretch this weekend at Drake and UNI. The Redbirds haven't played as many consecutive matches on the road during MVC play since the 2005 season, when ISU traveled to five Valley opponents in a row, going 2-3 during that period.
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