NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State senior Arianna Rossi achieved the career 1,000-dig milestone as the Redbird offense had its third consecutive match with a hitting percentage over .300, as the Redbirds swept past the Evansville Aces 25-9, 25-12, 25-18.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set (25-9): Illinois State scored the first five points of the match, and never looked back in the lopsided first set.
Second Set (25-12): ISU scored five in a row to start the second set, and the Redbirds never trailed in the second set, wining 25-12.
Third Set (25-18): The third set had the match's first lead change, as the frame had a total of 12 tie scores and six lead changes throughout. The teams traded the lead back and forth and were tied 17-17 before ISU scored four in a row, and eight of the last nine to secure the seven-point set win.
KEY STATISTICS
- For ISU, the team had its third consecutive match hitting .300 or better, which is tied for the eighth-longest streak for the Redbirds since 1997
- ISU gave up just 39 points, which is tied for the third-fewest points allowed in a match since 2016, and the lowest since the Redbirds gave up 33 points (13, 9, 11) against Evansville on September 28, 2018
- Rossi had a match-high 16 digs on the match, giving her 1,009 for her collegiate career between her time at Southern Utah and Illinois State
- Rossi also added one of the three Illinois State service aces
- Aida Shadewald had her fifth double-double of the season with a match-high 12 kills while adding 10 digs
- Shadewald also tied her season-high with four blocks
- Hannah Reichensperger had 10 kills, her sixth match with 10+ kills, while adding a season-high-tying six blocks
- Khenedi Guest narrowly missed the double-figure kill plateau with nine kills and three blocks
- Illinois State setters Audrey Clark and Ella Craggs each had 21 assists, while Clark had six digs and Craggs five, and each had a service ace
- ISU's hitting percentage of .385 is a season-high for the Redbirds
- Evansville's hitting percentage (.053) is the third consecutive match that the Redbirds have held their opponents to a hitting percentage under .100, and the fifth time overall this season
NEXT UP
ISU hosts its final home match of the 2025 season on Saturday late afternoon, with a 5 p.m. first serve against the Indiana State Sycamores, and postgame the Redbirds will recognize the program's four seniors: Rossi, Colleen Hege, Reichensperger, and Shadewald.
