MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The Illinois State offense had seven student-athletes with at least three kills on Saturday afternoon, as the Redbirds swept past the host Central Michigan Chippewas 25-20, 25-15, 25-19.

HOW IT HAPPENED

First Set (25-20): Each squad had a run to open the set, the Redbirds opening to a 3-1 lead, before the Chippewas countered, stretching to an 8-5 lead. The Redbirds answered back, scoring eight consecutive points to push back to a 13-8 advantage. Central Michigan started to claw back into the set, closing the gap to 20-17; however, the host Chippewas would not be able to climb any closer in the 25-20 opening-set Redbird win.

Second Set (25-15): The Redbirds jumped out early in the second set, stretching to a 10-1 lead and never looking back in the 25-15 middle-set win.

Third Set (25-19): An 11-2 lead to start the third set put ISU in the driver's seat, before Central Michigan methodically fought back to climb to within two at 15-13. The match remained close throughout to the finish, before the Birds closed out the 25-19 sweep.

KEY STATISTICS

• Illinois State opened with the lineup of 1 Ziegler, 6 Grevengoed, 9 Ella Craggs, 11 Jillian Gregory, 14 Jillian Ferrill, 16 Abby Reck, and liberos 5 Sammi Bunch and 17 Peyton Turner
• The Redbirds improve to 10-6 all-time against Central Michigan
• Illinois State has a 4-1 overall record; the team's best five-match start to a season since the 2019 squad also started 4-1, reaching seven wins before picking up their second loss
• ISU has won 12 consecutive sets this season, which is tied for the 20th-longest set victory streak in program history
  • The school record for consecutive sets won is 34 set during the 1976 season
• The Redbirds hit .311 as a team, the third time this season that ISU has had an attack percentage over .300
• Addisyn Pohl had a career-high eight kills for the Redbirds
  • Her previous career-best which was set while she was a student-athlete at Houston on October 23, 2024 against Baylor
• Emilija Arsic picked up nine digs, tying her career-high which was set last season while playing for San Francisco, when she had nine against San Jose State on September 20
  • Her seven kills are the second-most of the season for the sophomore transfer
• Reck recorded a season-high seven kills
• Ziegler, after 11 service aces in her last two matches, had two more in the finale against Central Michigan, giving her 13 for the season
• Ella Craggs narrowly missed her second consecutive double-double with a match-high 18 assists while adding dight digs, and adding two service aces
• Audrey Clark gave out a dozen assists for ISU
• Grevengoed tied her season-high with seven kills, as she also had seven in a sweep of NJIT on August 29
• Ziegler, Pohl, and Ayla Klingenberg each tied for the ISU lead in blocks with two, as the Redbirds out-blocked Central Michigan 6-to-4 in the match
• Olivia Caputa knocked down a season-high four kills while adding six digs

NEXT UP

The Redbirds make the short trek east to Ypsilanti, Michigan, to take on the Eastern Michigan Eagles on Sunday, for a 1:30 p.m. (CT) first serve.