TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Scoring 14 of the final 18 points in the third set, the Illinois State Redbirds came from behind in the final set to secure a sweep over the Indiana State Sycamores in the opening MVC match of the season for each of the teams.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set (25-17): After an initially close start, with the teams tied at 4-4 early in the set, the Redbirds ran off five consecutive points on kills by Hannah Reichensperger and Ruth Ziegler, a combo block by Ziegler and Khenedi Guest, and back-to-back kills by Aida Shadewald in her first appearance in a match since late August. The Sycamores could only climb to within two points over the rest of the set, as ISU ran away with a 25-17 first-set win.
Second Set (26-24): The second set started as a frame of runs, as the Redbirds scored the first two points, followed by a 7-1 run by the Sycamores to lead 7-3. ISU answered immediately back with five consecutive points to re-take the lead at 8-7. From there it was a back-and-forth set, as the teams were tied as late as 24 points apiece; however, Reichensperger was a one-person wrecking crew at the end of the set, recording a kill and a solo block to score the final two points of the set for the Redbirds.
Third Set (27-25): Tied at 5-5, the Sycamores – in front of their home crowd – went on a 5-0 run to stretch ahead to a 10-5 lead. The hosts' lead would stretch to as large as eight at 21-13; however, the Redbirds fought back, chipping away at the deficit, eventually tying the match at 24, and using a kill by Caitlyn Clark and an attack error by the Sycamores to secure the come-from-behind win, sweeping the MVC opener.
KEY STATISTICS
- Illinois State improves to 73-10 all-time against the Sycamores, and the Redbirds have now won each of the last seven matches in the all-time series
- The Redbirds are now 30-8 all-time in matches played in Terre Haute
- The win gives ISU its first MVC-opening win since the 2020-21 season
- ISU, ranked 74th in the country in blocks, had its first double-digit block game since September 12 against the Miami Hurricanes, currently the 24th-ranked team in the country
- Illinois State's 13 blocks are the most in a three-set match in the MVC this season, and the team's second-highest match total, second only to the 15 the team had in five sets against Loyola Chicago
- The Redbirds had their 10th and 11th sets this season which required extra points, the highest such total through 13 matches in program history
- Guest, the MVC leader in blocks for the season, had a career-high 10 blocks in the match, while also adding eight kills
- With her double-digit blocks, she is the first Redbird since Reichensperger last season on November 20, to accomplish the feat
- Her 10 blocks are the most in the MVC this season in a match of any length, and are tied for the sixth-most in a three-set match in NCAA Division I this year
- Caitlyn Little set a season-high with 12 digs, while adding 11 kills and two blocks
- The double-double for Little was her team-leading third this season
- Ziegler had nine kills for ISU, tied for her third-most in a match this season, while adding three digs and three blocks
- Reichensperger had five kills and two blocks, while tying her season-high with six digs
- Playing in her first match since August 31 due to injury, Shadewald had five kills with six digs and three blocks
- Arianna Rossi had her ninth match this season with double-digit digs, recording 11 in the match, while her two service aces led the Redbirds in the match
- With her match-high 20 assists, freshman Ella Craggs led the Redbirds in assists, the third time this season that she has led the team in the category, while Audrey Clark added 15 assists
NEXT UP
The Redbirds return to action tomorrow night in Peoria, Illinois, as ISU will face off against the Bradley Braves in a 5 p.m. first serve.
