CORALVILLE, Iowa – ISU responded to a short losing skid with a win over the Butler Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon, winning in five sets, 25-17, 34-32, 20-25, 23-25, 15-12.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set (25-17): ISU used a four-point run early in the set to turn a 4-3 deficit into a 7-4 lead, and the Redbirds never trailed again in the frame, with the Birds cruising to the eight-point set win.
Second Set (34-32): In a back-and-forth second set that saw a dozen ties and five lead changes, Illinois State and Butler were tied at every number from 24-32, before ISU got a kill from Caitlyn Little and a combo block from Hannah Reichensperger and Little to claim the 34-32 win. The score is the highest for the Redbirds in a set since August 26, 2011, in season opener where ISU won the opening set of the season at Utah Valley 35-33.
Third Set (20-25): With the Redbirds leading 16-14 just past the halfway point of the set, Butler responded by scoring five straight points and never trailing again in the Bulldog five-point set victory.
Fourth Set (23-25): Butler jumped ahead early and never trailed in the set, despite the Redbirds never trailing by more than five points at any time in the set, with the Bulldogs holding off a late ISU rally to win the fourth set 25-23.
Fifth Set (15-12): The Redbirds pushed ahead early in the fifth set, using kills from Khenedi Guest and Little, followed by a pair of attack errors to lead 4-0 early in the frame. The Bulldogs climbed back, taking a one-point, 8-7 lead; however, the Redbirds answered back with five straight to take a lead that the Birds would not give up for the rest of the match, with ISU winning in five sets.
KEY STATISTICS
- ISU's second-set score of 34-32 is the team's highest single-set score since August 26, 2011 when the Redbirds won the opening set against Utah Valley by a 35-33 score
- The Redbirds improved to 2-0 this season against schools in the BIG EAST conference
- For the second time this season ISU had four or more players with double-digit kills, as five players reached the double-figure plateau in kills
- The Redbirds were led in kills by Caitlyn Clark, who had a season-high 14, while also adding a career-high four blocks
- Little also had 11 digs for her first double-double of the year
- Guest's 12 kills are a season-high, as she hit .318 for the match, while adding four blocks, as she has at least three blocks in all six matches this season
- Logan Grevengoed reached double-digit kills for the second time this weekend with a season-high 12, hitting .440 in the match with four blocks
- Oliwia Caputa had a season-high 10 kills for ISU, while picking up 11 digs for her first double-double in 2025
- With Little and Caputa each recording double-doubles, it was the first time since November 24, 2024 that two Redbirds had double-doubles in the same match
- Reichensperger's 10 kills are her second match this season with double-digit kills, with only her 13 in the tournament opener against Loyola Chicago higher this year
- Four players – Guest, Little, Grevengoed, and Reichensperger – had four blocks in the match, with Grevengoed's two solo blocks leading the way for the team
- The team had 69 kills during the match, which is the second time this season that the Birds had 65+ kills in a match
- Arianna Rossi had double-digit kills for the fourth time this season, as she had a match-high 19 digs, while she has at least nine digs in all six matches in 2025
- Caputa led the team with two service aces, a season-high for the sophomore
- Audrey Clark dished out 30 assists – a new career-high – and she has set a career-high five times this year
- Ella Craggs dished out 22 assists, a new career-high for the freshman, topping her previous career-high of 18 in the tournament opener against Loyola
NEXT UP
The Redbirds host their next three matches, as ISU entertains Miami (Fla.), Cincinnati, and Illinois, for the Linda Herman Classic, starting with a 5:30 p.m. first serve against the Hurricanes.
