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Illinois State University Athletics

Volleyball vs UIC
Abigail Choi
3
Winner Illinois St. ILS 10-2,1-0 MVC
1
UIC UIC 4-9,0-1 MVC
Winner
Illinois St. ILS
10-2,1-0 MVC
3
Final
1
UIC UIC
4-9,0-1 MVC
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Illinois St. ILS 25 23 25 25 (3)
UIC UIC 19 25 15 23 (1)

Game Recap: Volleyball | | Bill Salyer

Redbirds Put Out Flames in MVC Opener

CHICAGO, Ill. – Extending beyond three sets for just the third time in 2026, the Illinois State Redbirds won in four sets in their MVC-opener, dousing the UIC Flames on Friday evening in four sets, 25-19, 23-25, 25-15, 25-23 as freshman Jillian Ferrill had a match-high 16 kills, and junior outside hitter Oliwia Caputa had her fourth career double-double with 11 kills and 11 digs.

HOW IT HAPPENED

First Set (25-19): The Redbirds opened MVC play by scoring four of the first five points of the match, before growing the lead to 8-2 behind a pair of Ruth Ziegler service aces. The host Flames fought back to climb to within one as late as 19-18; however, the Birds used a 4-0 set-ending run to secure the 25-19 opening-set win.

Second Set (23-25): For a second consecutive set, the Redbirds jumped ahead early, leading 4-1 through five points in the frame. UIC fought back to tie the set at six, before the Redbirds ran off five in a row to jump ahead of the Flames with an 11-6 advantage. In the set of runs, UIC answered back with a 4-0 run of their own to tie the set at 13 and eventually took their first lead of the match at 15-14. The Redbirds and Flames would find themselves tied at 16, 17, and 18; however, the Flames scored three of the next four points to extend to a 21-19 lead, and despite ISU climbing back within one, the Birds could not come all the way back in the 23-25 second-set loss, and just the third time this season that the Redbirds have not won the second set.

Third Set (25-15): After UIC scored the first point of the third set, the Redbirds responded with seven in a row to stretch to a 7-1 advantage early in the frame. The Flames fought back to within two at 9-7; however, the Redbirds re-extended the lead, leading by as many as 11 at 24-13, securing the 25-15 third-set win.

Fourth Set (25-23): Playing in a fourth set for just the third time this season, the Redbirds found themselves in a three-point, 4-1 hole early in the set. The Birds fought back to knot the score at eight and took a 12-11 lead behind back-to-back kills from freshman Jillian Ferrill. After the Flames tied the score at 12, ISU scored two straight and never trailed again in the match. The Birds led by as many as three late, securing the four-set victory – Illinois State's first four-set win of the season.

KEY STATISTICS

  • Illinois State opened with the lineup of 1 Ruth Ziegler, 6 Logan Grevengoed, 9 Ella Craggs, 10 Oliwia Caputa, 14 Jillian Ferrill, 16 Abby Reck, and libero 5 Sammi Bunch
  • Illinois State improves to 10-2 this season
    • ISU's 10-2 start is the best 12-game start to a season by the Redbirds since the 2004 team also started 10-2
      • The 2004 team went 12-2 before picking up their third loss of the season
  • With tonight's win, the Redbirds improve to 22-13 all-time against UIC, including winning the last two meetings in Chicago
  • The Redbirds are now 26-17 all-time in MVC openers
  • With 12 service aces as a team, the Redbirds have now recorded double-digit aces in three matches this season
  • For the first time since November 15, 2023 – a 3-1 Illinois State win at Bradley – the Redbirds have had 10+ service aces and 10+ blocks in the same match, as ISU had 12 service aces and 10 blocks in the match against the Flames
  • For the second time this season ISU has three players record double-digit digs, as Sammi Bunch (27), Ella Craggs (12), and Oliwia Caputa (11) all reached double-figures in the category
  • For the sixth time this season, and fifth consecutive match, Sammi Bunch had double-digit digs, as she recorded a season-high 27 against the Flames
    • The match marked her second consecutive contest with 20+ digs, and her third 20+ dig match this season
  • Jillian Ferrill recorded her third consecutive match with double-digit kills – and her fifth of the season – with a team-high 16, the second-highest match total of her young collegiate career
    • Ferrill also served up a pair of aces, a career-high for the freshman, and tied her career-high with five digs
  • Oliwia Caputa recorded her first double-double of the season – and fourth of her career – with 11 kills and 11 digs
    • She also added a career-high-tying three service aces
  • Coming into the match ranked sixth in the NCAA in service aces, junior Ruth Ziegler recorded two more in the match
    • Ziegler added seven kills – including the match-clincher – and a block for the Redbirds
  • Ella Craggs dished out a team-high 20 assists, with 12 digs for her third double-double of the season
  • Logan Grevengoed tied a season-high with six blocks (all assisted), while also knocking down five kills
  • Freshman Sidney Wright tied a career-high in kills with six, while tying her career-best with four blocks
  • For just the second time in her Redbird career, Abby Reck has had five or more blocks, as she had six in the match to go with six kills
  • Audrey Clark gave out 11 assists while picking up four digs and adding a service ace

NEXT UP

ISU closes out their MVC-opening weekend on Saturday evening, when the squad makes the short trek East to Valparaiso to take on the Beacons in a 7 p.m. first serve inside the Athletics Recreation Center.

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