By ISU
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The Illinois State volleyball team outlasted host Northern Iowa in a thrilling five-set match that was the Missouri Valley Conference opener for both teams Friday night at the UNI Tournament at the McLeod Center. Illinois State (6-5, 1-0 MVC) won by scores of 21-25, 25-19, 25-20, 27-29, 15-11.
Aly Dawson and Ali Line set career highs in kills in the match, with 21 and 18, respectively. Courtney Pence, meanwhile, tallied 44 digs in the match, the most in a single match in Illinois State history and the second-highest total in league history in a match between Valley teams.
Jaelyn Keene added 15 kills on a .517 attacking percentage, while Jordan Weatherless dished out a career-high 53 assists in the win.
“We had a slow start in the first set, but the team adjusted and responded well. They found a good rhythm offensively and we were able to get everyone involved as the match progressed,” said Illinois State head coach Melissa Myers. “Courtney really set the tone for us defensively and had an incredible performance tonight.”
Northern Iowa (6-5, 0-1) controlled the tempo and led much of the first set. The Panthers built a lead that reached as many as six points, but the Redbirds rallied back to cut it to one, as late as at 22-21. UNI scored the final three points of the set, however, to claim the opening set.
An early run in the second set helped the Redbirds even the match. A 7-1 surge early in the set helped the Redbirds gain the lead. Key kills down the stretch from Keene and Line helped the Redbirds maintain the lead, and a kill from Lexi Varga on set point evened the match at one set apiece.
A very close third set came down to the final points. The lead ping-ponged back and forth early in the set, but the Redbirds created separation with a 6-1 run. UNI fought back to tie it at 20-20, but the Redbirds scored the final five points in the set, the final coming on a kill from Lexi Wallen.
The fourth set was even closer than the third and it required extra points. The Redbirds fought off three UNI set points – and even had a set and match point at 25-24 – but the Panthers forced a fifth set with Kayla Haneline’s 16th kill of the match.
Illinois State and Northern Iowa traded points early in the fifth set, but Illinois State grabbed control with three-straight points to turn a 9-8 deficit into an 11-9 lead and force a UNI timeout. Then, after the Panthers scored the next point, the Redbirds fired off three more consecutive points, first with a kill from Dawson and then two from Line, to set up match point.
After a kill from UNI’s Bri Weber – who led all players Friday with 22 kills – the Redbirds finished off the win with Dawson’s 21st kill of the match.
The Redbirds return to action at the UNI Tournament Saturday, with matches against Syracuse, at 10 a.m., and North Dakota State, at 5 p.m. Links for live video, audio and stats are available at GoRedbirds.com, and fans can follow @RedbirdVB on Twitter for live updates.
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
