PEORIA, Ill. - The Illinois State volleyball team will seek to get back on track after dropping two-straight matches and losing four-of-five matches as the Redbirds (8-7, 1-3) take on rival Bradley (4-12, 0-4) at the Renaissance Coliseum.
SCHEDULE
-Tuesday at 6 p.m. CT: at Bradley (4-12, 0-4 in 2022) | WATCH | LIVE STATS
3,257 FANS IN REDBIRD ARENA
Illinois State's 3,257 fans at 9/30's match against Valparaiso is the most in the MVC for home matches since the Redbirds drew 3,850 on 9/13/19 against Illinois. The Redbirds' crowd more than doubled the next closest MVC for home matches (UNI vs GCU - 1,563 on 9/10/22). The 3,257 fans are the most in the state of Illinois this season (next closest: Illinois vs #5 Purdue - 2,648 on 9/30/22) and the most the Redbirds have drawn against a mid-major in 20 years (vs Southern Illinois - 3,597 on 9/29/02).
FOUR-SET LOSSES TO VALPARAISO, UIC
Despite 3,257 fans being at Redbird Arena on Friday, Illinois State fell in four sets to Valparaiso. The Redbirds won the first set against UIC, but still fell in four sets. Senior Kaity Weimerskirch reset the ISU season-high for digs in a four-set match each match with 24 and 26, respectively.
'BIRDS BEAT NO. 25 ILLINOIS
Illinois State defeated No. 25 Illinois on Saturday in five sets. The Redbirds have now won back-to-back matches against ranked Illinois teams (9/13/2019). The 'Birds won against the Fighting Illini on a neutral court for the first time since 1980 (lost four-straight).
5TH-SET COMEBACKS
Illinois State already has a pair of improbable comeback wins in 2022, defeating Cincinnati (trailed 9-3 in fifth set) and Green Bay (trailed 7-2 in fifth set) in five-set thrillers, despite trailing after three sets.
MILESTONE WATCH 👀
Senior Sarah Kushner became the 17th Redbird to reach 1,000 career digs in 9/2/22's five-set victory over Green Bay. Kushner became the seventh Redbird to reach the 1,000 mark in both kills and digs as she is at 1,023 kills and 1,106 digs entering 9/30/22. Kushner became the 22nd Redbird to reach 1,000 career kills at Indiana State on 9/24/22.
Senior Kaity Weimerskirch passed Mallory Leggett for fifth on the career digs list. Weimerskirch is at 1,491 digs entering 10/4/22. Fourth on the list is not out of reach, but Weimerskirch will be hard-pressed to make the jump as Chris Rehor-Federico finished her Redbird career with 1,806 digs.
Sophomore Katelyn Lefler is on track to become the 17th Redbird to reach 1,000 career assists as she is at 940 assists entering 10/4/22.
Teammate and junior Nora Janka may beat Lefler to the punch, or is at least is on pace become the 18th Redbird to reach 1,000 career assists as she is at 929 assists entering 10/4/22.
NEW HEAD COACH
Allie Matters is in her first season at Illinois State after four seasons at Wright State. Matters is joined by Matt DePauw (previously at Central Michigan) and Hayden Wagner (previously at Cincinnati).
PRESEASON ALL-MVC
Redbird seniors Kaity Weimerskirch and Sarah Kushner (both First Team All-MVC in 2021) were named Preseason All-MVC by the conference's 12 head coaches. ISU's two selections took up a third of the preseason team as only players were selected.
PRESEASON FAVORITES
High expectations await the 2022 Illinois State team as the Redbirds were picked by the MVC's 12 head coaches to win the conference. The 'Birds received five first-place votes.
NCAA TOURNAMENT IN 2021
The 'Birds made their fourth-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance in 2021.The 'Birds are one of only 21 teams in the nation that have made it to each of the last four NCAA Tournaments. Illinois State will seek to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the fifth-straight season for the first time in program history in 2022.
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