ROCHESTER, Mich. – Behind a big weekend from freshman Jillian Ferrill inside of her home stats, the Illinois State volleyball team picked up a pair of 3-0 sweeps, as the Redbirds – heading into MVC play with a 9-2 record on the season – are off to their best start since 2004.

HOW IT HAPPENED

First Set (25-22): Oakland scored the first three points of the set, and despite numerous ties and short runs for the Redbirds, would hold onto the lead until ISU ran off four consecutive points to turn a 16-15 deficit into a 19-16 lead in the late portions of the frame. From there ISU would not trail again, even with Oakland putting together challenges to the Redbird lead.

Second Set (25-22): The teams traded the lead early in the set, as the Grizzlies used a 6-1 run to stretch to a two-point, 6-4 lead. Oakland's margin reached its high mark of five at 12-7, before the Redbirds started to chip away at the deficit, using a 4-0 run to turn a two-point deficit into a two-point lead at 22-20. Oakland fought back to tie the set at 22-22 before the Redbirds closed the set by scoring the final three points for the 25-22 win.

Third Set (25-23): Back-to-back service aces from Ella Craggs to open the third set saw the Redbirds jump out to a 3-0 lead. Oakland came back to take a two-point, 8-6, lead before the Redbirds fought back to re-take the advantage. Tied at 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18, Oakland ran off three consecutive to lead 21-18. ISU answered right back with a 5-0 run of their own, to turn the three-point deficit into a two-point advantage the last three of the run back-to-back-to-back kills from freshman Jillian Ferrill. The tournament, which featured all three of the Reck sisters, was capped by a kill from Abby, as the Redbirds picked up the 3-0 sweep, and tournament victory.

KEY STATISTICS

• Illinois State opened with the lineup of 6 Logan Grevengoed, 9 Ella Craggs, 10 Oliwia Caputa, 11 Jillian Gregory, 14 Jillian Ferrill, 16 Abby Reck, and libero 5 Sammi Bunch
• Illinois State improves to 9-2 on the season
  • ISU's 9-2 start is the best 11-game start to a season by the Redbirds since the 2004 team also started 9-2, and went 12-2 before picking up their third loss of the season
• ISU has won its last nine games inside the state of Michigan, with the last loss coming during the 2009 season
• With today's win, Illinois State continues to be undefeated against Oakland with a 4-0 record in the all-time series
• The Redbirds held Oakland to a .170 attack percentage, the eighth time this season – and third consecutive – that ISU has held their opponent to an attack percentage below .200
• Jillian Ferrill knocked down 15 kills – the second-highest single-match total of her young career – as she had 28 kills over six sets in the tournament
  • In her five matches inside the state of Michigan, the freshman averaged 4.08 kills per set with a team-high 53 kills in 13 sets played
• Ella Craggs recorded her second career double-double with 13 assists and 10 digs
  • She tied her season-high with three service aces
• Sammi Bunch tied her season-high with 21 digs, while recording her first double-double of the season, and 10th of her career by adding a season-high 12 assists
  • Nine of her previous 10 double-doubles came from her time as a setter at Tusculum University as a freshman, and the other was on September 20 with 21 digs and 11 assists against Florida Atlantic
• Ella Kohnen gave out a career-high 10 assists in the Redbird win, while her five digs are a career-high
• Seniors Logan Grevengoed and Abby Reck each had eight kills for the Redbirds, while Jillian Gregory had six
• Addisyn Pohl's four blocks are her second-highest match total this season for the Houston transfer, as all four were solo blocks, a career-high

NEXT UP

Jumping into MVC play, the Redbirds travel to Chicago, to take on the UIC Flames on Friday, September 25, which is followed by a Saturday, September 26 match at Valparaiso.