NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State volleyball team (14-11, 7-6 MVC) dropped a hard-fought battle to league-leading UNI (19-9, 13-1 MVC) on Friday night, falling in four sets to the Panthers.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 >> It was a back-and-forth battle from the start, as UNI was forced to call a timeout with Illinois State leading 10-7 behind a kill from Kendee Hilliard and block by Sydney Holt and Stef Jankiewicz. UNI responded with a scoring run of its own to come within one, as ISU held on to an 11-10 advantage. Holt delivered the Redbirds' second ace of the match to push ISU out in front, 14-11. Hilliard added to her kill total, registering her four for a 21-15 first-set lead. An attacking error by the Panthers sent the Redbirds to set point, before a kill from Monica Miller helped ISU seal the opening frame, 25-22.
Set 2 >> The Panthers bounced back with a 4-1 scoring run to start the second, while a service ace fell between two Redbirds for a 7-2 lead and early timeout used by ISU. A pair of kills from Miller brought ISU back within one, before a kill from Holt leveled the set at nine-all. Kills from Emmy Ogogor and Martin evened the set two more times, before UNI surged ahead for a 16-13 lead. A pair of dumps over the net from Jankiewicz gave ISU the 19-18 edge. Back-to-back kills by UNI helped the Panthers take the second set, 26-24, despite an attempted coach's challenge by ISU head coach Leah Johnson on the final play.
Set 3 >> ISU jumped out to a 7-3 advantage behind a pair of kills and service ace from Martin, forcing UNI to call a timeout. The Panthers responded with a 5-0 run to come within one of the Redbirds, before an attacking error pushed ISU back out to a 10-8 lead. The Redbirds surged ahead for a five-point advantage on Martin's team-leading 12th kill. UNI climbed back to level the set at 19-all, before a 4-0 run by the Panthers gave the visitors a 23-20 lead. A block by Holt and Hilliard helped ISU knot the set back at 23, as UNI held on for a 28-26 third-set win.
Set 4 >> UNI wasted no time in the fourth set, surging ahead for a 7-0 lead to force the Redbirds to call both of their timeouts early. Hilliard's career-high 13th kill put ISU on the board, as Kaity Weimerskirch delivered her lone service ace of the match to keep the ball in the hands of the Redbirds. Junior Kendal Meier subbed into the match – her first appearance since Sept. 28 – with the Redbirds sitting at a 14-3 deficit. ISU quickly scored a trio of points on a pair of kills from Martin and one from Jankiewicz, but UNI charged ahead for a 20-8 advantage, before sealing the frame, 25-12.
LEADING THE FLOCK
UP NEXT
Illinois State will face Drake tomorrow night, before hitting the road for Valparaiso and Loyola Chicago next weekend.
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