NORMAL, Ill. – In a match that featured 37 tie scores and a dozen lead changes, the Illinois State volleyball team dropped a three-set slugfest to the Southern Illinois Salukis on Saturday night by scores of 21-25, 23-25, 23-25.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set (21-25): In what ended up being the most lopsided of the three sets, the first set saw a match-high 16 tie scores, while also providing four lead changes. Through the first 20 points, the largest lead either team could get was three, and the teams were tied at every number from nine until 20; however, with the set tied 20-20, Southern Illinois ran off four consecutive points to push out to a 24-20 lead, before finishing with a 25-21 set score.
Second Set (23-25): In the second set ISU jumped out to a 9-6 lead early, behind back-to-back Redbird blocks; however, a 7-1 Southern Illinois run pushed the visitors ahead by a 13-10 score. The Redbirds would not back down, and eventually re-took the lead at 18-17; and the teams battled down through the stretch before SIU scored the final two points of the frame for the 25-23 win.
Third Set (23-25): For the second consecutive set the teams were tied at 23 late in the set; however, back-to-back kills from SIU secured the road sweep for the Salukis.
KEY STATISTICS
- Aida Shadewald knocked down a season- and match-high 15 kills for ISU on 36 swings
- Three other Redbirds: Ruth Ziegler, Khenedi Guest, and Caitlyn Little, each had seven kills while Hannah Reichensperger had six
- Ella Craggs and Audrey Clark each had double-digit assists on the match, Craggs leading the way with 19 while Clark was close behind with 16
- Clark had her first collegiate double-double in the match with a career-high 10 digs to go along with her 16 assists
- Little had a team-high 11 digs, her seventh double-digit dig match this season, and her third time leading the team in the category
- Five different Redbirds: Little, Clark, Shadewald (8), Arianna Rossi (7), and Reichensperger (7), each had seven or more digs in the match
- In addition to tying her career-high in digs, Reichensperger's three blocks were the top total on the team
NEXT UP
ISU hits the road for an Iowa weekend series, facing off against the Northern Iowa Panthers on Friday evening at 6 p.m., before making the short trek to Des Moines to battle the Drake Bulldogs on Saturday at 5 p.m.
