Redbirds Prepped for Road Swing at Valparaiso, UIC

NORMAL, Ill. – Fresh off their first two MVC wins of 2023, Illinois State volleyball is back on the road this weekend as the Redbirds head to Valparaiso, Ind. and Chicago, Ill. to continue MVC play.

The 'Birds will go head-to-head with Valparaiso on Friday night before facing UIC on Saturday. First serve is set for 6:00 p.m. CT Friday night while Saturday's match gets underway with first serve at 5:00 p.m. CT.

SCHEDULE

- Friday at 6 p.m. CT: at Valparaiso (10-8 overall, 2-3 in MVC) | WATCH  | LIVE STATS

- Saturday at 5:00 p.m. CT: at UIC (12-6 overall, 3-2 in MVC) | WATCH  | LIVE STATS

NEWEST MEMBER OF THE 1K CLUB

Illinois State graduate student Mari Hinkle eclipsed the 1,000-career dig mark during the first set of Illinois State's five-set win at Murray State on September 29.

Hinkle finished the night with a game and career high 37 digs as she becomes the 10th active Missouri Valley Conference player with 1,000+ career digs.

Heading into this weekend, Hinkle sits 19th in the NCAA for digs per set with a mark of 5.10, sufficient for 4th in the MVC as well.

MILESTONE WATCH 👀

Sophomore Emily Weber sits 36 assists away from reaching 1,000 career assists at ISU, which would make her the 18th all-time Redbird to achieve the mark.

GOING THE DISTANCE

The Redbirds battled for every point to secure their first MVC win in 2023, taking a five-set thriller against Murray State as the two sides saw a total of 220 combined points scored.

The match marked the first five-set match for Illinois State in MVC play since October 2022 (ILS defeated Indiana State 3-2).

ACE-ING IT UP

The Redbirds served up 10 team service aces at Belmont on September 30, setting a new three-set season high in the category.

The previous season high for service aces in a three-set match came at Green Bay when the Redbirds finished with five aces against the Phoenix.

For all latest on Illinois State volleyball, stay tuned at GoRedbirds.com and follow the team on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

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