NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State volleyball team (12-5, 10-3 MVC) extended its win streak to five matches on Saturday afternoon, sweeping Southern Illinois (2-17, 1-16 MVC) on the road.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 >> Sarah Kushner opened with a pair of kills to help push Illinois State to a 7-3 advantage early, as the Salukis used their first timeout. Senior Kaylee Martin contributed to the scoring, adding a trio of kills to her stat line, while the Redbirds jumped out in front, 15-9, mid-way through the opening frame. ISU led by as much as seven, as SIU committed a ball handling error to give the Redbirds a 19-12 lead. The run continued for the Redbirds, as another Saluki error followed by Kushner's fourth kill gave ISU a 21-12 advantage. Southern Illinois responded by scoring seven of the next eight points to come within four of the Redbirds. A pair of kills from middle blockers Nicole Lund and Sydney Holt helped Illinois State grab the opening set, 25-19.
Set 2 >> Southern Illinois led to start the second set, before Lund's team-leading fifth kill leveled it at six-all. The Salukis responded with a 4-0 run, as the Redbirds used a timeout with the home team hitting .400 in the set. Back-to-back Kushner kills brought ISU back within two forcing SIU to call a timeout holding on to a 16-14 lead. An ace by Carley Nicholson and attacking error by the Salukis knot the set, but a pair of miscues gave SIU a two-point advantage again. A late run by the Redbirds put pressure on the Salukis as a Tamara Otene kill brought ISU within one, trailing 22-21. Rookie Kaitlyn Prondzinski checked into the match and provided some momentum, as her third kill in as many tries carried ISU to set point and a block by Lund and Martin sealed the second-set comeback win, 25-23.
Set 3 >> Illinois State opened the deciding set on a 12-1 run, as Holt delivered a trio of kills and the Redbirds capitalized on six errors by the Salukis. The Redbirds maintained their cushion with two kills from Kushner and Martin, sitting at a commanding 17-4 lead mid-way through the set. Three-straight kills by Illinois State pushed the Redbirds ahead, 22-8, before a kill from Prondzinski and block by the freshman and Holt completed the series-opening sweep of the Salukis, 25-12.
LEADING THE FLOCK
QUOTING COACH JOHNSON
On second-set adjustments…
"I thought Kaitlyn (Prondzinski) did a nice job stepping in and hitting efficiently, getting kills and helping with momentum builders in her blocking. As a team, we didn't get rattled. We talk all the time about trusting your skills and just chipping away a couple points at a time and that it doesn't have to be all at once."
On the regular season ending tomorrow…
"I think the focus is easier right now for us because we know what this next match can signify. It's the difference of a seed in the tournament and for a regular-season title. So that in and of itself is very motivating and self-focusing. I thought they (SIU) served really well today, so we just have to stay steady in our passing game and keep our middles involved all match tomorrow."
UP NEXT
The Redbirds will take on the Salukis again tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m., before returning to Normal to serve as the host of the 2020-21 MVC Volleyball Championship, April 1-3.
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
