CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Sophomore Caitlyn Little recorded a career-high 18 kills on a .278 hitting percentage to lead Illinois State in a four-set loss to Illinois on Tuesday at Huff Hall, in front of 2,715 fans.
Junior Aida Shadewald recorded 12 kills, seven digs, and five service aces while freshman Khenedi Guest had six kills and three blocks. Senior Mekaila Aupiu recorded her fourth straight match with 35+ assists, finishing with a match-high 38 Tuesday night.Â
HOW IT HAPPENED
Illinois started fast in the first set and jumped out to a quick 6-2 lead before Illinois State trimmed the margin to 7-4. The Illini went on to lead by as much as 12 points and took the first set, 25-13.
The Redbirds battled back to take the second set, 25-20, and tie the match up at one set apiece. Illinois State hit .414 in the second set after hitting just .034 in the opening set.
The third set was back-and-forth to begin, but Illinois made a 6-0 run to grab a 15-10 lead. Following that run, the Illini never surrendered the lead, pulling ahead by as many as eight to take a 2-1 lead in the match, winning the third set by a final of 25-18.
In the fourth and final set, Illinois State built an early four-point lead, holding a 12-7 advantage, before Illinois responded to score six of the next seven points and tie the score at 13-13. From there, neither team led by more than two before Illinois went on a 6-0 run to close the match with a 25-18 win.
SET SCORES
Illinois State falls to Illinois (1-3): 13-25, 25-20, 18-25, 18-25
LEADING THE BIRDS
Kills:Â Caitlyn Little (18)
Digs:Â Sammi Bunch (13)
Assists:Â Mekaila Aupiu (38)
Service Aces:Â Aida Shadewald (5)
Total Blocks:Â Khenedi Guest (3)
ILLINOIS STATE NOTES
-Illinois State (.181) was outhit by Illinois (.342)
-Junior Aida Shadewald set a new career-high in service aces with five
-Sophomore Caitlyn Little recorded a career-high 18 kills Tuesday
-The match was the teams' second straight meeting in Champaign.
UP NEXT
The Redbirds return to action at the Billiken Invitational, hosted by Saint Louis, this weekend. Illinois State will be in action with matches versus Xavier (Friday at 11:00 a.m. CT), Army (Friday at 4:00 p.m. CT), and Saint Louis (Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT).
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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