MADISON, Wis. – A season full of adversity came to a close on Friday night, as the Illinois State volleyball team (22-12) rallied in the third set, but came up short, against the No. 4 national seed Wisconsin Badgers (23-6) at UW Field House.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 >> The Redbirds ran out of the gate on a 3-0 scoring run behind kills from Sydney Holt and Sarah Kushner, before the Badgers responded with five-straight points to take a two-point edge. Kaylee Martin's first kill brought ISU back within one, trailing 8-7. Wisconsin drew its largest lead, a 17-8 advantage, on a 6-0 scoring run to force the Redbirds to use their final timeout. Taylor Lynch's second kill ended ISU's scoring drought, bringing the deficit down to single digits as the Redbirds answered with a pair of quick points from Kushner and Martin. The Badgers closed the opening frame on a 6-2 run to take the set, 25-13, despite two points by ISU with Wisconsin at set point.
Set 2 >> Kills from junior Martin and Holt leveled the set at two-all, before a Wisconsin serving error knot the frame back up at three. The Badgers drew a 10-4 lead with Wisconsin on a 7-1 run, as ISU used its final timeout. A kill out of the back row by Martin brought the ball back on ISU's side. Holt won a joust at the net, and teamed up with Kushner immediately after, to bring the Redbirds within eight. A kill from Kushner crushed a four-point scoring run by Wisconsin, as Holt and Stef Jankiewicz followed with another block for ISU. An attacking error by the Badgers at set point extended the frame, but Wisconsin sealed the set, 25-14.
Set 3 >> Kushner delivered her first service ace, as the ball rolled over the tape at the top of the net to give ISU an early lead. A block by Martin and Holt gave the Redbirds a two-point cushion and ISU kept it with a trio of Martin kills. A kill from Lynch helped the Redbirds take their largest lead of the match, sitting at a four-point advantage with a 9-5 lead. Another kill from Kushner extended ISU's lead, forcing the Badgers to call a timeout. Martin soared out of the back row to keep the Redbirds ahead by three with her team-leading ninth kill. A three-point scoring run by Wisconsin brought the Badgers within one, but the Redbirds charged forward to a four-point lead to keep their cushion out of an ISU-called timeout. The Badgers used their home court advantage to come back and level it at 22-all with their 11th block before taking their first lead of the set. A kill by Martin, and a block by Jankiewicz and Emmy Ogogor, knot the set again at 23- and 24-all, respectively, before Wisconsin held on for the 26-24 third-set win.
LEADING THE FLOCK
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