NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State volleyball team will look to extend its three-game winning streak this weekend at home as the Redbirds host UNI and Drake on October 22-23 inside Redbird Arena. First serve against the Panther is set for 6 p.m. on Friday, October 22, while Saturday's match against the Bulldogs will begin at 7 p.m.
Fans who plan to attend this Saturday's match should allow extra time for parking with Band Day being held at Illinois State the same day. Parking is available in lots G81 and G53 on Saturday. A parking map is linked to goredbirds.com.
HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG
vs. UNI | WATCH | LIVE STATS
vs. Drake | WATCH | LIVE STATS
LAST TIME AGAINST UNI
The Illinois State volleyball team picked up their first Missouri Valley Conference win of the 2021 season, downing the UNI Panthers in five sets last month. Despite taking the first two sets without ever relinquishing their lead, the Redbirds would need all five sets to secure the match win. Tamara Otene posted a then-career-night with a lifetime best 22 kills on her birthday to lead the 'Birds, while Sarah Kushner and Aliyah Moore added 18 and 11 kills, respectively.
LAST TIME AGAINST DRAKE
Illinois State volleyball fell 0-3 at Drake earlier this season to open Missouri Valley Conference play. Tamara Otene and Sarah Kushner were the Redbirds' leaders offensively, each posting double-digit kills at 14 and 12, respectively. Kushner's 12 kills and 10 digs marked the eighth time this season and the second-straight match that she finished with a double-double.
OTENE OUTSTANDING
Sophomore Tamara Otene continues to rise the occasion match after match to lead the Redbirds, combining for 50 kills in ISU's three match swing over four days. Finishing with 12 (vs. LUC), 21 (vs. Valpo) and 17 (vs. BU) kills in each match, Otene was one of three Redbirds to post double-digit figures in each of ISU's three wins, joining Sarah Kushner and Kaitlyn Prondzinski. Otene's 21 kills against Valparaiso mark the fifth time this season she has recorded more than 20 kills on a given night and also marked her second double-double of the season, finishing with a career-best 12 digs. No one averages more kills per set or has more total kills during Missouri Valley Conference play than Otene, averaging 4.16 kills/set with 154 total kills. The Auckland, New Zealand native's 306 total kills this season rank 19th in all of the NCAA.
KUSHNER KRUSHING IT
Junior Sarah Kushner has gone 10-straight matches with double-digit kills and finished all but one conference match this season with a double-double (digs/kills), with 15 total double-doubles so far this year. Kushner's 15 double-doubles are the most of any Missouri Valley Conference athlete, currently with two more than the next closest individual. The outside hitter from Naperville, Illinois, posted 10 kills against the Ramblers and added 13 against Valparaiso and Bradley in ISU's span of three games in four days. Kushner also matched a career-best 20 digs against the Beacons.
CAN YA DIG IT?
Junior Kaity Weimerskirch became only the 16th Redbird in school history to reach 1,000 career digs after combining for 51 in ISU's two home matches last weekend, which was the exact number needed to reach the 1,000-dig mark after entering the weekend with 949 digs. ISU's junior captain was named the MVC Defensive Player of the Week for her impressive performance against the Ramblers and Beacons. Weimerskirch leads the Valley and ranks 13th in the nation with 390 total digs this season, averaging 4.64 digs/set which is second in the league and 56th in the NCAA.
UNDEFEATED NO MORE
The Illinois State volleyball team handed Loyola-Chicago their first Missouri Valley Conference loss of the season, topping the Ramblers in four sets (26-24, 17-25, 25-19, 25-23) last weekend at home. With that win, the Redbirds won their 12th-straight match against the Ramblers.
CLIMBING UP THE NATIONAL RANKS
Illinois State not only ranks at the top of the Missouri Valley Conference in multiple statistical categories, but the Redbirds are also one of the best teams in the nation offensively. The 'Birds have the third most kills in all of the NCAA with 1,117 so far this season. ISU also ranks No. 3 in the NCAA for team assists with 1,032 and No. 8 for total team attacks with 3,040.
STREAKS
The Redbirds put losing streaks to an end and started a new winning streak on Monday, Oct. 18 at Bradley. Illinois State, who had not previously won at Renaissance Coliseum since 2017, took down the Braves in five sets to snap a three-game losing streak in Peoria. The win over Bradley marked Head Coach Leah Johnson's first win at Renaissance Coliseum since her first season at ISU and also started a three-game winning streak for the Redbirds with 10 conference matches remaining before the MVC Tournament. Illinois State's three-consecutive wins have moved the team up into sole possession of second-place in the MVC standings.
ROAD TO 100 WINS AT ISU
In only her fifth season at the helm of the Illinois State volleyball program, Head Coach Leah Johnson is approaching her 100th victory as a Redbird. Johnson needs just five more wins to reach the milestone win even with a shortened season in 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since taking over as ISU's head coach in 2017, Johnson has coached the 'Birds to three 20+ win seasons, three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances, two MVC Tournament titles and three MVC regular season titles.
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