NORMAL, Ill. – In a battle between two unbeaten MVC schools, the Illinois State volleyball team fell in three sets to the Northern Iowa Panthers by scores of 23-18, 18-25, 22-25 in the first of a four-match homestand for the Redbirds.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set (23-25): Northern Iowa jumped ahead early in the opening set, stretching to a 7-2 lead, before the Birds started a comeback, running off an 8-4 run, closing the gap to one at 11-10. The lead for the Panthers yo-yoed between one and four points before ISU ran off four consecutive points to take their first lead of the game, turning a two-point, 16-14 deficit into an 18-16 advantage. The visiting Panthers answered back with three in a row to re-take the lead at 19-18. ISU tied the match at 19, 20, 21, and 23; however, UNI scored the final two points of the frame to secure the narrow 25-23 set win.
Second Set (18-25): The second set opened similarly to the opening frame, with the Panthers jumping ahead 7-2, before the Redbirds began chipping away at the deficit. The Birds ran off four in a row to close the gap to two at 11-10. The Panthers answered right back with a 6-1 run, stretching the lead to 17-11. The Birds would only get to within four points the rest of the set, as Northern Iowa secured the 25-15 second-set victory.
Third Set (22-25): Northern Iowa jumped out to a 4-1 lead to start the third set; however, the Redbirds would not go down quietly, using a 6-0 run to take a four-point, 14-10 advantage. The Panthers would fight back, eventually taking the lead back at 18-17, and extending it to as many as five in the 25-20 final-set Panther victory.
KEY STATISTICS
- Illinois State opened with the lineup of 1 Ruth Ziegler, 6 Logan Grevengoed, 10 Oliwia Caputa, 14 Jillian Ferrill, 15 Addisyn Pohl, 21 Audrey Clark, and liberos 5 Sammi Bunch and 12 Ellie Burr
- Illinois State falls to 11-3 this season, 2-1 in the MVC, and 30-64 all-time against the Panthers
- Oliwia Caputa had seven kills and 11 digs for the Redbirds
- Ella Craggs recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 12 assists and 12 digs
- Sammi Bunch recorded double-digit digs for the eighth time this season and for the seventh consecutive contest with 16 in the contest
- Ruth Ziegler led the Redbirds with nine kills, while Caputa had seven, and Logan Grevengoed and Abby Reck each had six
- Grevengoed's four blocks are her third-highest match total this season, and tied for the most in a three-set match
NEXT UP
Illinois State has a short turnaround before its next match, hosting the Drake Bulldogs on Friday evening at 6 p.m. first serve inside CEFCU Arena.
