NORMAL, Ill. – Hosting a ranked team for the first time since 2019, the Illinois State volleyball team (2-4) dropped a three-set match (22-25, 20-25, 22-25) to No. 25 Marquette at Redbird Arena on Sunday afternoon to conclude the Red & White Invitational.
OPENING VOLLEY
- Sophomore outside hitter Tamara Otene spearheaded the Redbird attack with 10 kills to lead Illinois State in that category for the fifth match this season.
- Sophomore middle blocker Nicole Lund had herself a day, adding eight kills on .400 hitting and three blocks.
- Freshman setter Katelyn Lefler contributed a game-high 28 assists and is currently ranked third in the Missouri Valley Conference, averaging 9.32 assists per set through the first two weekends.
THE DIFFERENCE
- Illinois State battled to the very end in each set in a match that featured 25 ties and seven lead changes.
- The Redbirds had a 40-34 advantage in kills on the day, yet Marquette was more efficient, hitting .267 to ISU's .218.
- The Golden Eagles recorded eight service aces to ISU's two, led by Marquette graduate student Hope Werch who had five.
QUOTE FROM HEAD COACH LEAH JOHNSON
"Going in, we knew what they did well and that they played efficiently. We knew we couldn't stop every playset or person, that they have a very balanced offense with lethal arms and that they serve and pass well. Our goal was that if we could manage on our side that we could be competitive. We had a few more dips in performance than I would like but that's the nature of playing a top-25 team and why we play them. You learn a lot when you're tested and that's what our non-conference schedule is for. We learned a lot today and we'll come back to the gym on Tuesday and put it to work."
UP NEXT
The Redbirds continue their tough non-conference slate next weekend, traveling to Dayton, Ohio to take on Central Michigan, Dayton and Wright State at the Flyer-Raider Invitational.
For all latest on Illinois State volleyball, stay tuned at GoRedbirds.com and follow the team at @RedbirdVB (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram).
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