NORMAL, Ill. – On Sunday, the Illinois State volleyball team (13-5, 11-3 MVC) clinched the program's 11th regular-season title outright with a sweep of Southern Illinois and will be the No. 1 in the upcoming Missouri Valley Conference tournament.
MVC CHAMPIONSHIP RETURNS TO REDBIRD ARENA
The 2020-21 MVC Volleyball Championship returns to Redbird Arena, April 1-3, as the league's top eight teams will battle for the tournament title and earn the MVC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The last time the Redbirds hosted was in 2017, when Missouri State swept UNI in the championship match.
For the first time this season, fans will be allowed inside Redbird Arena at a limited capacity. For more information, such as parking, clear bag policy and how to purchase tickets, please visit GoRedbirds.com.
FOLLOW ALONG
All matches of the MVC Championship will air on The Valley on ESPN+, while live stats will also be available for fans to follow.
TITLE TOWN
Illinois State won the MVC regular-season title outright with a sweep of Southern Illinois on Sunday, finishing the year 13-5 overall and 11-3 in the league. This is the second time in three seasons that the Redbirds have won at least a share of the title under the direction of fourth-year head coach Leah Johnson. Illinois State will be the No. 1 seed and host of the upcoming MVC Championship. The Redbirds have won the MVC tournament five of the nine times they've previously hosted.
KUSH KEEPS KILLIN' IT
Sarah Kushner led the team with 27 kills to average a team-best 4.50 kills per set in a pair of sweeps by the Redbirds this weekend at Southern Illinois. The six-rotation player turned in a .352 hitting percentage, recording a team-high in kills both matches to help Illinois State win its 11th regular-season title. Kushner added a pair of service aces and 13 digs in her two outings, contributing a team-high 29.5 points. For her performance, she was recognized as the MVC Player of the Week on March 30.
LATEST RPI REPORT
Illinois State is checking in at No. 45 in the latest RPI report (March 29) with key nonconference wins over Marquette and Cincinnati. The Redbirds are the highest-ranking Valley team, sitting ahead of Bradley (No. 96) and Missouri State (101).
For updates on Illinois State Volleyball, follow the Redbirds on Twitter (@RedbirdVB) and Instagram (@redbirdvolleyball).
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more
