NORMAL, Ill. – Behind a match-high 13 kills from Oliwia Caputa, the Illinois State volleyball team picked up a sweep over the Bradley Braves in the inaugural match of the "War on 74" rivalry series, sponsored by Country Financial, as the Birds won 25-22, 25-8, 25-20.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set (25-22): The teams went back and forth early in the match, with neither team able to lead by more than two points until the very end of the set, as ISU used a 5-0 run to turn a two-point, 22-20 Bradley lead into a 25-22 opening-set win.
Second Set (25-8): Illinois State kept its momentum from the end of the first set, and carried it over to the second, running off a 16-0 run between the end of the first and beginning of the second – taking an 11-0 lead in the second frame. The Redbird lead was cut to single digits on a Bradley 3-0 run; and the margin yo-yoed between single and double digits until ISU extended their lead behind a 6-0 scoring run, pushing the lead to its high-mark of 15 at 21-6, cruising to the 17-point second-set win.
Third Set (25-20): Bradley jumped out early in the second set, leading 4-2; however, the Redbirds answered with four consecutive points to take a 6-4 lead, and ISU would not trail again in the contest. Bradley tied the match at 12 apiece; however, the Birds had a trio of 3-0 runs, including the match-ending run, to secure the rivalry sweep.
KEY STATISTICS
- Illinois State opened with the lineup of 1 Ruth Ziegler, 9 Ella Craggs, 10 Oliwia Caputa, 11 Jillian Gregory, 16 Abby Reck, 18 Ayla Klingenberg, and libero 5 Sammi Bunch
- Illinois State goes to 12-4 this season, 3-2 in the MVC, and 74-11 all-time against the Braves
- The match was the first contest in the newly created War on 74 Series, presented by Country Financial
- The last time ISU allowed eight or fewer points in a set in a match was on October 21, 2023 when the Birds held Indiana State to five points in the third set
- The Redbirds held Bradley to an attack percentage of .076, the third time this season that the Birds have held an opponent below a .100 attack percentage, and the 12th time below .200
- Oliwia Caputa knocked down 13 kills, her fifth double-figure kill match of the season and the fourth in her last five contests
- Sammi Bunch had 20 digs, her ninth consecutive double-digit dig effort
- She has 998 career digs as she approaches the 1,000-dig milestone
- Ella Craggs gave out a match-high 21 assists, as she narrowly missed a double-double with nine digs
- Ella Kohnen had a career-high 11 assists, while also serving up a career-high two aces
- Her nine digs are also a career-high
- Ayla Klingenberg had seven kills, a season-high for the sophomore, while also recording a season-high three blocks
NEXT UP
The Redbirds close their four-match homestand on Friday night, October 9, when ISU hosts the Indiana State Sycamores inside CEFCU Arena with a 6 p.m. first serve.
