ISU’s Keene, Pence earn MVC weekly honors

Posted on October 20, 2015

By ISU Sports Information

ST. LOUIS – Jaelyn Keene and Courtney Pence were both honored for their performances in this weekend’s pair of victories for the Illinois State volleyball team. Keene was named Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week and Pence was named MVC Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced Monday.

A sophomore middle hitter from Jacksonville, Illinois, Keene helped the Redbirds to a pair of Missouri Valley Conference wins over the weekend, as Illinois State (15-6, 5-3 MVC) defeated Evansville and Southern Illinois.

Keene had an outstanding match in a five-set win over Southern Illinois Saturday, as she set a career high with 22 kills on a .588 hitting percentage. Keene also added four blocks, including two solos, in the win. For the weekend, Keene posted team highs of 34 kills, seven blocks and a .620 hitting percentage.

With this weekend’s performance, the sophomore middle hitter moved into first place in hitting percentage in the Valley, with a .417 clip. Keene has registered 217 kills, at a rate of 2.57 per set, this season for the Redbirds.

Pence tallied 20-plus kills in ISU’s wins over Evansville and Southern Illinois over the weekend. On Friday, Pence recorded a match-high 24 digs in three sets (8 per set) and dished out three assists in a win over Evansville. Pence came back Saturday with 22 digs (4.4 per set) and seven assists in ISU’s five-set victory over Southern Illinois. Pence averaged 5.75 digs per set over the weekend.

The freshmen libero from Springfield, Illinois, leads the team with 385 digs, averaging a MVC second-best 5.02 digs per set.

The Redbirds return to action Tuesday at Indiana State. WJBC.com will have the action at 6 p.m.

Blogs

Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all

By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year. It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …

Is federal mobilization the answer?

By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city. Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…

In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans

By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…

Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life

Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University. We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk. Going to work every day for some people means…