PEORIA, Ill. – The Illinois State volleyball team (10-11, 6-3 MVC) won their third-straight match in four days, downing Bradley (9-11, 5-4 MVC) in five sets (25-23, 16-25, 13-25, 25-19, 15-7) on Monday night inside Renaissance Coliseum. Tonight's win over the Braves marks the first time since 2017 that Illinois State has won on the road in Peoria.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Braves got off to a 3-0 start, but a Redbird run of 7-1 midway through the set gave ISU a lead that they wouldn't relinquish despite Bradley's best efforts. Bradley was able to narrow a late 23-18 deficit to one, but sophomore Tamara Otene ended set one with her fourth kill of the set, giving the 'Birds the 25-23 advantage.
Errors plagued the 'Birds in sets two and three with 23 combined across the two sets, giving Bradley the edge with Illinois State unable to get into an offensive rhythm.
In the fourth set, however, Bradley would suffer from errors from the service line especially, with six to ISU's one. The Braves and the 'Birds were matching point for point until a pair of kills from ISU and three BU errors gave Illinois State the advantage and momentum going forward. Once the Redbirds took a 9-6 lead off of Bradley's errors, Illinois State's energy never waivered and they forced a fifth set for the second-straight match.
Illinois State took over in set five, hitting an impressive .600 clip with 10 kills as a team in the final set. A 6-1 run that featured back-to-back kills from sophomore Kaitlyn Prondsinski and a swing of three kills from junior Sarah Kushner to put the 'Birds up 11-4 and the rest would be history as the Braves could never narrow the deficit to less than six.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Otene has registered at least 10 kills in every single Missouri Valley Conference match this season, including 10-game streak with 10+ kills. She has 18 total double-digit kill performances on the year after finishing with a game-high 17 against the Braves.
- Kushner joined Otene in continuing the 10-game streak of reaching double-digit kills, finishing with 13 on the night. Kushner also added another double-double to her tally, now with 15 total on the year after posting 10 digs.
- Prondzinski recorded 10+ kills for the third-straight match, finishing with 10 total as the Redbirds' third student-athlete with double-digit kills.
- For the 19th time in 21 games, Kaity Weimerskirch has finished with at least 10 digs, finishing with 16 against the Braves.
- The setting duo of Katelyn Lefler and Nora Janka led the 'Birds in assists with 22 and 21, respectively.
QUOTES FROM HEAD COACH LEAH JOHNSON
On getting a win at Bradley for the first time since 2017:
"It feels amazing. I think there's always a team that you have a match-up challenge against and for me it has been Bradley. I'm really proud of the fight in our team. This was a very strange match, coming off a very challenging weekend."
On getting back-to-back five set match wins and the confidence it gives the team:
"I think it is (a confidence booster). I think that we got better the whole match. I think we were good in set one, but we weren't hot; we were just a little better than them. How I thought we were playing showed up on the scoreboard in the other sets and so when we got some rhythm going in four and then into five – I thought we were playing the game I think we can play, which certainly helps with confidence. It shows us we can play through heavy legs."
QUOTES FROM SOPHOMORE OUTSIDE HITTER KAITLYN PRONDZINSKI
On getting a win at Bradley:
"It was really needed. We talked earlier this week about how we as a team need to build more of a belief in each other so throughout the whole week we worked really hard and we're beginning to trust ourselves more, winning the past two games at home and winning here tonight. I think this win is really going to set us up for the future, giving us the trust that we can win these games and we have the ability to do it."
On not giving up after being down 2-1:
"When I look at my team there's never a doubt in my mind that we can't win a game. I truly believe that we can win any game that we get into so when I look at my teammates and see their fire too – we all feed off of each other. There's less time to doubt yourself when you have your whole team supporting you and your ability."
UP NEXT
The Redbirds return home to Redbird Arena this weekend when they host UNI and Drake on October 22-23.
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