NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State volleyball team (7-2) wrapped up the Redbird Classic, presented by The Edge Apartments, on Sunday, falling to No. 7 Marquette (7-2) in five sets.
Juniors Kaylee Martin and Stef Jankiewicz were named to the All-Tournament Team.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 >> Both sides had long rallies to start, as Marquette jumped out to an 8-4 lead. Kills by Monica Miller and Emmy Ogogor brought the Redbirds back within two. The Golden Eagles responded with a 3-0 scoring run to force ISU to take a timeout, sitting at an 11-6 deficit. Out of the break, another kill by Miller brought the ball back into the hands of the Redbirds. A kill by Sarah Kushner, and a block by Sydney Holt and Stef Jankiewicz, kept Marquette on its toes with Kaity Weimerskirch behind the service line. The Golden Eagles charged ahead to hold onto the first set, 25-21.
Set 2 >> The Redbirds opened on a 5-2 run, as Holt, Jankiewicz and Martin teamed up for blocks to keep ISU ahead early. The Golden Eagles crept within one, but a service ace by Kaity Weimerskirch pushed the Redbirds back out to a 14-10 advantage to force Marquette to use its first timeout of the match. After the Redbirds went on a 5-0 run, the Golden Eagles fought back with a 3-0 run of their own to cut into ISU's lead. A big kill by Martin forced Marquette to use final timeout with Redbirds out ahead, 21-16. ISU's eighth block of the match – this time by Miller and Ogogor – brought ISU to match point, before Kushner's seventh kill sealed the second set for the Redbirds, 25-18.
Set 3 >> A 3-0 scoring run by the Redbirds gave ISU a 10-7 advantage early on, behind a pair of errors by Marquette to force the Golden Eagles to call a timeout. Out of the break, Ogogor and Miller teamed up again for the Redbirds' ninth block of the match to give ISU an 11-7 lead. Marquette responded with a 3-0 run to come within one of ISU, before the Redbirds jumped back out to a five-point lead. The Golden Eagles' 23rd attacking error helped the Redbirds sit at a 20-15 advantage, before back-to-back blocks by Martin and Ogogor pushed ISU to 12 for the match and a 23-17 lead. Kushner's 11th kill helped the Redbirds secure the set, 25-18, to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
Set 4 >> In a set of runs, the Golden Eagles opened the fourth set on a 5-1 run to force an early timeout by the Redbirds. ISU responded with a 4-0 run behind three kills from Martin and one from Ogogor to level the set at eight-all to force a Marquette timeout. An attacking error by the Redbirds helped the Golden Eagles regain the lead, before holding on for the 25-16 win.
Set 5 >> Marquette opened on a 4-1 run to force ISU to call an early timeout, before Martin delivered a service ace to level the set at eight-all and force the Golden Eagles to call a timeout. With the Golden Eagles sitting at match-point, Holt registered back-to-back kills, while Kaity Weimerskirch delivered back-to-back service aces to knot the set at 14-all. The back-and-forth battle continued, until Marquette held on for the 21-19 fifth-set win.
LEADING THE FLOCK
UP NEXT
Illinois State will hit the road for its final early season tournament next weekend, when it travels to Columbus, Ohio, for the Buckeye Invitational. The Redbirds are set to take on Ohio State, Miami (OH) and Dayton.
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