MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Illinois State (1-1) picked up its first win on Saturday afternoon, fighting off No. 20 Marquette (1-1) in five sets, for its fourth top-25 win in four years. The Redbirds' five-set thriller over the Golden Eagles marks ISU's first victory over Marquette since the NCAA Tournament in 2014 and first ever on Marquette's home court.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 >> After losing the first point of the set, the Redbirds never trailed, jumping out to as much as a 13-point advantage. ISU distributed its offense across the front row, as Kaylee Martin, Stef Jankiewicz, Sarah Kushner and Nicole Lund each registered three kills in the opening frame. A kill from Jankiewicz helped the Redbirds grab the opening set, 25-13. ISU turned in 15 early kills behind a .433 hitting percentage, while Marquette recorded just six kills on .000 hitting.
Set 2 >> The second set saw 12 ties and just two lead changes as neither team led by more than a pair up until the final points. Martin tacked on five more kills, hitting .400 for the set, while Sydney Holt stood firm at the net, adding a pair of solo blocks to her stat line. A kill from Kushner knot the set up at 21-all, as the Golden Eagles closed the set on a 4-0 run for a second-set win.
Set 3 >> The Golden Eagles trailed early in the third, as kills from Martin, Lund and Kaitlyn Prondzinski pushed ISU out in front, 5-0. Marquette responded midway through the set, going on a 4-0 run to come within two of ISU. Out of a Redbird timeout, kills from Martin and Holt helped ISU regain a five-point advantage, forcing Marquette to use a timeout sitting at a 20-15 deficit. Back-to-back defensive plays by Kushner kept the Redbirds in control, as Martin's match-high 15th kill sealed the third set, 25-17.
Set 4 >> Marquette slowly pulled away in the fourth set, after a kill from Lund tied the set at 12. The Golden Eagles closed on a 5-1 run, winning the fourth set, 25-16, on a rare serving error by the Redbirds, while boasting a .324 hitting percentage. Martin added three more kills to her column, while Kushner closed in on her first career double-double.
Set 5 >> It was a back-and-forth battle at the start of the fifth, as the teams exchanged points early. Holt teamed up with Jankiewicz, before stepping to the outside with Martin for a pair of big blocks to put ISU ahead, 6-4, forcing Marquette to use a timeout. Two Kushner kills leveled the set at nine-all out of an ISU-called timeout, before the Redbirds' fifth block of the set gave ISU an 11-9 advantage. Martin's fourth kill of the set came from the back row, as the senior helped the Redbirds knot the frame back up at 14, before a Marquette hitting error and unsuccessful challenge by the Golden Eagles sealed the match for ISU.
LEADING THE FLOCK
QUOTING COACH JOHNSON
On offensive distribution and performance…
"We knew we had to make adjustments and engage more point scorers, including our middles and right sides, and they came through on that plan. We didn't need them to carry the burden, but we needed them to score in the right situation and they did. Both Kaylee (Martin) and Sarah (Kushner) are playing six rotations for us, defending the whole backcourt, making stops at the net and are involved in every play. We're really proud of the competitive fire they've been bringing to this team."
On going five sets with Marquette for the second-straight year…
"Right around the 10th point when we lost the lead and then tied it up again, there were flashbacks to last season when Marquette came to our place, even though this team looks a lot different than last year's. Personally, I had to breathe through it, just like we tell the players to breathe through it. The team trusted their training and executed."
On shifting focus to conference play on Monday…
"Right now, no matter who we see in conference, we feel like we have a point to prove, and everyone wants to prove that same point against us. Our conference is always highly competitive, and we don't expect anything less than that this year. We respect Bradley, and honestly, we're just excited to have our first home match."
UP NEXT
Illinois State will make its 2021 home debut on Monday when it hosts I-74 rival Bradley at 6 p.m. In accordance with state and local guidelines, fans are currently not allowed to be in attendance at home ISU Athletics events. Game dates, opponents, times and locations are subject to change. To view Illinois State's full schedule and find ways to follow the match, visit GoRedbirds.com.
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
