NORMAL, Ill. - The Illinois State volleyball program gave it their all on Senior Day but dropped a four-set match to MVC foe Valparaiso on Saturday inside CEFCU Arena, in front of nearly 1,200 fans.
Graduate students Kara Cooper and Bella Zeman led the way for the ISU offense, finishing with nine kills in front of the home crowd.
Fellow graduate student Mari Hinkle tallied a match-high 23 digs on Saturday while sophomore Emily Weber moved her streak to 20 straight matches with at least 20+ assists, going for a match-high 26 Saturday.
Sophomore Regan Haith made her first in-match appearance since Sept. 3 at Illinois, as the Lincoln, Neb. native totaled eight kills and a match-high nine blocks versus the Beacons.
Illinois State falls to 11-16 overall and 9-6 in MVC play while Valparaiso jumps to 18-10 overall and 10-5 in MVC play this season.
SET SCORES
Illinois State falls to Valparaiso (1-3): 25-20, 20-25, 19-25, 15-25
ILLINOIS STATE STATS LEADERS
Kills:Â Kara Cooper and Bella Zeman (9)
Digs:Â Mari Hinkle (23)
Assists: Emily Weber (26)
Service Aces: Aida Shadewald (3)
Total Blocks:Â Regan Haith (9)
ILLINOIS STATE NOTES
- Illinois State (.138) was outhit by Valparaiso (.217)
- The Redbirds tallied more blocks than the Beacons (12-8).
- The match was followed by a post-match ceremony where ISU honored their five seniors and graduate students.
UP NEXT
Illinois State will hit the road for the lone meetings against Southern Illinois and Missouri State next weekend. Matches begin at 6 p.m. CT against the Salukis (Friday) and 5 p.m. against the Bears (Saturday) as the push for the 2023 MVC Championships continues.
For all the latest on Illinois State volleyball, stay tuned at GoRedbirds.com and follow the team on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
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