Keene named Valley Offensive Player of the Week

Jaelyn Keene
(Photo courtesy goredbirds.com)

By ISU Sports Information

NORMAL – Illinois State’s Jaelyn Keene has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week, following a standout performance at Mizzou’s Tiger Invitational over the weekend, the Valley announced Tuesday.

Keene earned Tournament MVP honors after leading her team to the tournament title. Illinois State went 2-1 in the tourney, finishing the weekend with the same record as Utah, but claimed the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Utes by virtue of a five-set win in both teams’ final match of the weekend Saturday.

In four matches over the past week, Keene tallied 53 kills (2.94 per set) on a .475 hitting percentage. Keene also tallied 13 blocks (0.72 per set) over the stretch, including two solos in the win over Utah. She added three aces and 13 digs.

Keene had a particularly good match in a five-set win over Miami (Ohio) Friday night, posting a season-high 19 kills, on a .514 hitting percentage, to go along with six blocks.

Keene and the Illinois State volleyball team are back in action this weekend at the Blue Raider Bash, hosted by Middle Tennessee, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

Links for live audio, video and stats are available at GoRedbirds.com, and fans can follow @RedbirdVB on Twitter for live updates from every match this season.

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…