CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The No. 3 seed Illinois State volleyball team opened the Missouri Valley Conference Volleyball Championship on Thursday night with a straight-set victory over No. 6-seeded Evansville.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 >> The Redbirds took an early lead behind a pair of kills from Kaylee Martin. An Evansville service ace helped the Purple Aces regain a two-point advantage, before Kendal Meier's first service ace of the match gave the Redbirds an 11-10 edge. A dump over the net by setter Stef Jankiewicz behind a 4-0 run by ISU pushed the Redbirds out in front, 15-11, going into the media timeout. The Redbirds continued to run out of the break, before the Purple Aces bounced back with a 4-1 run to come within three of ISU. A block by Jankiewicz and Emmy Ogogor helped the Redbirds surge ahead by six for an Evansville timeout. Out of the break, the Purple Aces went on a 5-1 run with the Redbirds sitting at a 24-21 lead, before a serving error by Evansville handed ISU the 25-21 opening-set win.
Set 2 >> Evansville opened on a 7-3 run behind a pair of service aces, while Martin's team-leading seventh kill brought the Redbirds back within three. Another ace by Evansville helped the Purple Aces extend their lead as ISU used a timeout trailing by six. The run continued for Evansville until the Redbirds got the ball back on a kill from Taylor Lynch off the bench. ISU was forced to use its final timeout, sitting at a 16-10 deficit, as a tip over the block by Martin kept the Redbirds within reach. An ace by the junior brought the Redbirds within three, as Evansville used its first timeout. The run continued for ISU out of the break with another ace delivered by Martin before a kill from Sarah Kushner leveled the set at 18-all. With the Redbirds on a 7-0 run and a 20-18 lead, the Purple Aces were forced to use their final timeout. Jankiewicz's second kill carried the Redbirds to set point, before ISU sealed the second set the same way it did the first – with an Evansville serving error – for a 25-23 win.
Set 3 >> Illinois State opened the third set on a 5-0 run on a pair of solo blocks by Martin with Kushner behind the service line. Evansville called a timeout, trailing by six, as Holt delivered her second kill of the set. The Purple Aces crawled back to knot the set at eight-all, before taking its first lead. The back-and-forth battle continued, as neither team led one another by more than a single point. Martin's 11th kill gave ISU the 15-13 lead, before a service ace by the Purple Aces leveled the set back up. A kill from Ogogor on the slide pushed the Redbirds ahead, as ISU went on to win the set, 25-20, on a block by Holt and Taylor Lynch.
LEADING THE FLOCK
UP NEXT
With their victory, the Redbirds are set to take on the No. 2-seeded Loyola Chicago Ramblers tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. For more information on about the championship event, fans can visit the tournament central page on the Valley's website.
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