NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State volleyball team (15-11, 8-6 MVC) battled back from a 24-20 third-set deficit against Drake (8-20, 3-12 MVC) on Saturday night, to pull off the season sweep of the Bulldogs in straight sets.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 >> Illinois State opened on a 6-1 scoring run with Sarah Kushner behind the service line, and a pair of early kills from both Sydney Holt and Kaylee Martin. The Redbirds surged ahead to hold a 13-3 advantage, but the Bulldogs quickly responded with a four-point run to force ISU to call a timeout. The run continued for Drake, before the Redbirds scored five-straight points to hold a commanding 19-9 lead. A dump over the net by setter Stef Jankiewicz carried ISU to set point, before a Taylor Lynch kill sealed the opening frame, 25-13.
Set 2 >> Drake bounced back in the second set, holding a four-point advantage early with an 8-4 lead. Hilliard registered a pair of kills to give ISU its first lead of the set. Holt and Martin continued to put on a clinic, each adding two more kills to their stat line to help the Redbirds hold a 15-10 advantage going into the media break. The Bulldogs used a timeout, trailing 21-17, before responding with a 4-0 run to level the set. Martin's match-leading 12th kill pushed the Redbirds to set point, before Monica Miller checked into the game and delivered the set-winning kill for a 26-24 second-set victory.
Set 3 >> ISU called a timeout sitting at a 6-4 deficit, before knotting the set at six on a block by Emmy Ogogor and Miller. The back-and-forth battle continued, as neither side led by more than a single point. A kill by Miller knot the set at 16-all, before Drake took a one-point edge. A block by Martin and Holt push the Redbirds out in front, 18-17, to force Drake to call a timeout. A successful challenge by Drake's head coach brought the Bulldogs within one before they leveled the set at 19-all for an ISU timeout. The Bulldogs took a 24-20 lead, before ISU battled back to take the deciding set, 31-29. Â
LEADING THE FLOCK
UP NEXT
Illinois State will hit the road for the final time during the regular season, when they head north for matches at Valparaiso and Loyola Chicago next weekend.
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