NORMAL, Ill. – Despite a season-high 14 blocks – the most for ISU in over a year – including a career-high nine from Abby Reck, the Illinois State volleyball team fell in four sets to the Lindenwood Lions in the second day of the Linda Herman Volleyball Classic.

HOW IT HAPPENED

First Set (25-21): A close set throughout, the Redbirds and Lions battled to seven tie scores and three lead changes, and the teams were tied at 19 late in the set before ISU closed the door with a 6-2 run down the stretch for the four-point set win.

Second Set (12-25): Lindenwood scored the first four points of the second set and never looked back, winning the second set 25-12.

Third Set (20-25): The third set saw the visitors run ahead 2-0 and 5-1, and would not trail in the frame, leading by as many as seven points at 18-12. The Redbirds fought back, climbing within as few as three at 20-17; however, ISU could not complete the comeback, forcing a fourth set in the match.

Fourth Set (20-25): There were two lead changes and eight tie scores in the fourth set, with the Redbirds leading by as many as four at 10-6. The two teams found themselves tied at 11, 12, 13, and 16 before Lindenwood scored three of the next four points to lead 19-17. ISU would climb within one at 20-19; however, the Lions closed the door with three consecutive points, picking up the 25-20 victory.

KEY STATISTICS

• Illinois State opened with the lineup of 1 Ruth Ziegler, 2 Emilija Arsic, 6 Logan Grevengoed, 15 Addisyn Pohl, 17 Peyton Turner, and 21 Audrey Clark, and libero 5 Sammi Bunch
• ISU's 14 blocks are the most in a single match since the team had 15 against Loyola Chicago on September 4 at the Iowa Invitational
• Reck's nine blocks are a career-high, topping her previous high-mark of six against Elon during her freshman season at Northeastern University.
• Grevengoed had a team- and season-high-tying 11 kills for ISU, while her five blocks are also a season-high
  • Her 11 kills tie her season-high from the team's five-set win against Eastern Michigan, and her five blocks are the most for the Holland, Michigan, native, since she had six against Miami (Fla.) in the opening match of last season's Linda Herman Classic
• Bunch had a team-high 15 digs – her second-highest total of the season – as ISU had three players with double-digit digs
• Arsic also had double-digit digs with 11 digs – the second-highest total of her collegiate career – while also adding six kills
• Ziegler's seven kills were the second-highest on the team, as she added an ace and a season-high four blocks
• Ella Craggs, Turner, and Clark each added eight digs for the Redbirds
• Clark's 15 assists were the most on the Redbird squad, while Craggs had a dozen

NEXT UP

Illinois State closes the Linda Herman Volleyball Classic tomorrow afternoon with a 1:30 p.m. first serve against the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons, who split their matches in the tournament, falling in three sets to Lindenwood to open the tournament, and sweeping Western Illinois earlier this afternoon.