NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State volleyball (6-9 overall, 1-1 MVC) picked up their first Missouri Valley Conference win of the 2024 season, downing the Belmont Bruins (5-9, 0-2 MVC) in five sets Saturday night.
Sophomore Caitlyn Little recorded a career-high 20 kills to go along with eight digs to lead the way for the Redbirds.
Illinois State dropped the first set before winning the next two as three players tallied double-digit kills for the Redbirds in Little along with 12 kills from freshman Ruth Ziegler and 11 kills from junior Aida Shadewald.
Senior Mekaila Aupiu posted another well-rounded stat line with a career-best 48 assists and seven digs.
SET SCORES
Illinois State defeats Belmont in five sets: 19-25, 25-23, 25-20, 21-25, 15-8
ILLINOIS STATE STATS LEADERS
Kills: Caitlyn Little (20)
Digs: Sammi Bunch (15)
Assists: Mekaila Aupiu (48)
Service Aces: Sammi Bunch (3)
Total Blocks: Maggie McCrary (5)
ILLINOIS STATE NOTES
- Illinois State (.247) outhit Belmont (.204)
- Aupiu tied a career-high with 48 assists Saturday night
- Saturday marked the first five-set match win for ISU since last October when the Redbirds defeated in-state rival Bradley.
- Illinois State moves to 4-0 all-time versus Belmont
UP NEXT
Illinois State hits the road for the first time in MVC play as the Birds head to Springfield, Missouri, and Carbondale, Illinois for a meeting with Missouri State and Southern Illinois next Friday and Saturday.
For all latest on Illinois State volleyball, stay tuned at GoRedbirds.com and follow the team on X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
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