NORMAL, Ill. – For the second time in as many seasons, the Illinois State volleyball team won the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Championship as the Redbirds (16-5) defeated the Loyola Ramblers in four sets Saturday night inside Redbird Arena.
With the victory, the Redbirds will be making their third-consecutive trip to the NCAA Championship. ISU will find out who its first opponent is when the full bracket is announced on ESPNU tomorrow at 3 p.m.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 >> Three kills from Sydney Holt in the opening frame helped the Redbirds take an early 8-2 lead to start the match, as the Ramblers used their first timeout. Illinois State went on a 5-1 run with a trio of kills from Kaylee Martin, who was up to a match-leading five in the match, for a 14-5 lead by the Redbirds. A solo block by Sarah Kushner lifted the Redbirds to set point, before a block by Nicole Lund and Kaitlyn Prondzinski helped Illinois State secure the opening set, 25-14. As a team, ISU hit .438 in the opening frame, while Holt was hitting at a .778 clip with seven kills and no errors.
Set 2 >> A pair of aces delivered by the Ramblers helped Loyola level the set at five-all in the second set as the back-and-forth battle continued. A 4-0 run by the Redbirds, and unsuccessful challenge by Loyola, pushed ISU out in front, 9-5, with two more kills from Holt. Back-to-back kills from Martin and Prondzinski carried Illinois State into the media timeout with a six-point advantage. The Ramblers used a timeout with ISU on a 6-0 run, before an ace dropped by Martin extended the Redbirds' lead. Three-straight points pushed Illinois State to set point, while Kushner's fourth kill sealed the set, 25-14.Â
Set 3 >> The Ramblers opened the third set on a 4-1 run, but the Redbirds quickly responded with aggressive serving by Kaity Weimerskirch and four-straight points to jump back out in front. Martin's second ace pushed Illinois State ahead, 14-10, before Loyola responded with a 3-0 run to force Leah Johnson to use her first timeout of the match. The Redbirds regained a two-point lead, but the Ramblers would give up, leveling the score at 18-all before taking their first lead since the start of the set. Out of an ISU-called timeout, the run continued for Loyola, as the Ramblers closed on a 9-2 run for a 25-20 third-set win.
Set 4 >> It was a back-and-forth battle to start the fourth set, as a block by Holt and Stef Jankiewicz propelled the Redbirds ahead by two. Loyola used a timeout with ISU sitting at an 8-5 advantage, before climbing back to knot the score at 11 with four-straight points. The Ramblers took a 13-12 lead with a reversed call on a successful challenge and Illinois State jumped back in the lead with a kill from Prondzinski and block by Holt. Loyola responded with a 3-0 run to level the score at 18-all, as the Redbirds used their final timeout. The teams exchanged points, before the Ramblers jumped out to a 22-20 advantage. Back-to-back kills by Lund and Kushner then tied the match again at 22-all and an attack error by Loyola gave the Redbirds the advantage at 23-22. A block by Prondzinski and Lund then sent it to match point, and a solo block by Kushner secured the 25-22 victory and the tournament title for the Redbirds.
LEADING THE FLOCK
•   Kills >> Kaylee Martin (16)
•   Assists >> Stef Jankiewicz (39)Â
•   Digs >> Kendal Meier (26)Â
•   Blocks >> Nicole Lund (8)Â
TOURNAMENT NOTES
•   Martin was named the 2020-21 Missouri Valley Conference Volleyball Tournament Most Valuable Player, after leading the Redbirds to their 12th MVC Tournament title and the league's automatic NCAA Tournament berth. It was the first MVC Tournament MVP honor for Martin.
•   Jankiewicz and Holt joined Martin on the MVC All-Tournament Team and Kushner (4.00 GPA in Health Promotion Education) was honored with the Elite 17 Award.
•   The Redbirds became the first team to win back-to-back titles since Wichita State in 2015 and 2016.Â
•   ISU now stands 6-0 in MVC finals held in Normal, also winning on their home court in 1997, 1992, 1989, 1988 and 1983.
QUOTING COACH JOHNSON
On what was working for her team in the first two sets …
"I thought our service game is where it started. We had them out of system for two whole sets. Our slide offense was hitting nearly .700 at one point and we passed the ball pretty well, so we were able keep siding out and keep the pressure on them."
On winning the regular season and tournament titles …Â
"This was the one I've been really excited to get. To get both the regular season and tournament championships in the same year, especially in a weird year, feels so good and I'm so proud of this team. This senior class has truly taken us to new heights every year."
RAISE THE BANNER
Fans interested in supporting the championship tradition of Redbird Volleyball can join the ACE Club (PDF). To receive priority access to new season tickets for the fall season, click here or call the ISU Athletics Ticket Office at (309) 438-8000.
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