NORMAL, Ill. – For the second straight night, it was Illinois State volleyball securing a sweep inside CEFCU Arena. The Redbirds move their win streak to five after claiming a Saturday night sweep over the Evansville Purple Aces.
The Redbirds move to 5-1 in MVC play and sit tied with Bradley for second in the MVC standings after three weekends of action.
HOW IT HAPPENED
In set one, the two sides would remain close before Illinois State rattled off a 6-0 run to pull ahead 13-5. The Redbirds would not lead by less than nine the rest of the set, as they were in full control to take set one, 25-13 for the early advantage.
Set two would be tightly contested as well with neither side leading by more than two prior to a 4-0 Redbird run for the 20-17 lead. The Purple Aces kept it close down the stretch and trimmed the lead to one multiple times before a Khenedi Guest kill closed the set, 25-23, to give ISU a two-set lead.
In the third set, the score would remain tight for most of the action much like the first two sets. As the score was tied 18-16 ISU, the Redbirds scored three straight points to build out a five-point lead at 21-16. The Purple Aces tried their best to cut into the margin, but the Redbird offense was too much, closing the set on a 3-0 run for the 25-18 set win and overall match victory.
SET SCORES
Illinois State defeats Evansville in three sets: 25-13, 25-23, 25-18
ILLINOIS STATE STATS LEADERS
Kills: Aida Shadewald (14)
Digs: Sammi Bunch (8)
Assists: Mekaila Aupiu (32)
Service Aces: Khenedi Guest (3)
Total Blocks: Mekaila Aupiu (2)
ILLINOIS STATE NOTES
- Illinois State (.281) outhit Evansville (.122)
- Guest totaled the fourth highest hitting percentage in CEFCU Arena history with a clip of .750
- Illinois State moves to 54-7 all-time versus Evansville
UP NEXT
Illinois State hits the road for a meeting with I-74 foe, Bradley, on Monday night at 7:00 p.m. CT from Peoria. Monday's match will be streamed via ESPN+.
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