NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State volleyball team (7-2) will hit the road for its final early season tournament this weekend, when it travels to Columbus, Ohio, for the Buckeye Invitational, hosted by Ohio State (4-5). The Redbirds will face the Buckeyes, Miami (OH) (4-4) and Dayton (5-5) at the two-day event.
About the Field
The Redbirds hold the series advantage over all three of their opponents this weekend. Illinois State most recently faced Dayton in 2017 at Redbird Arena, taking down the Flyers in three sets. ISU came out on top in a pair of five-set matches against Ohio State and Miami (OH) in 2014 and 2016, respectively.
Ohio State missed the postseason in 2018, while Miami (OH) advanced to the second round of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC) and Dayton fell to Louisville in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
Recognizing the Redbirds
ISU is receiving votes in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Poll, which was announced by the organization on Monday. This is the first time the Redbirds have been mentioned in the poll since third-year head coach Leah Johnson took the reins in 2017. Illinois State has made 14 appearances in the AVCA's top 25 in program history – 12 times in 1984 and twice in 1983 – the first year the poll was published.
Illinois State received the third-most votes outside of the top 25, collecting 49 behind Michigan (123) and Colorado (101) and were listed on two ballots or more.
B1G Win
For the first time in 10 years, the Redbirds and the Illini renewed their in-state rivalry last Friday night, as ISU stunned No. 14 Illinois in four sets. The last time Illinois State took down an opponent ranked this high was in 1996, when the Redbirds upset then-No. 8 Notre Dame in five sets. Additionally, Friday night's win marks Illinois State's first win over Illinois since Aug. 31, 2006, to level the series at 30 games apiece.
Doing Double
Illinois State's starting setter Stef Jankiewicz was all over the court, posting three double-doubles and a .375 hitting percentage in the Redbirds' 2-1 weekend at their home tournament. In the Redbirds' four-set win over No. 14 Illinois, Jankiewicz posted her fourth double-double of the season with 42 assists and 14 digs, while also contributing seven kills and a .600 average against the Illini. The Redbird Classic All-Tournament Team selection finished the weekend with 140 assists to average 10.00 per set, and 44 digs to average 3.14 digs per set – the second-best average of any Redbird. For her performance this weekend, Jankiewicz was named the MVC Player of the Week on Monday afternoon.
Hot Start
For the third time in five seasons, and second-straight year under the direction of head coach Leah Johnson, the Redbirds are off to a 7-2 start. The best start in program history was a 9-1 start to the 1992 season, going 14-2 in the first 16 matches, and finishing the year 30-4 overall.
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