Redbird volleyball falls in regular-season finale

Posted on November 20, 2016

*The Redbirds played Drake, but came up short with a final score of 3-1. (WJBC File Photo)*

By WJBC Staff

NORMAL – The Illinois State volleyball team came out on the wrong end of a 3-1 score in its final match of the regular season Saturday at Redbird Arena, as visiting Drake earned a win by scores of 25-23, 25-15, 22-25, 25-22.

Illinois State had already punched its Missouri Valley Conference Tournament ticket before the match started Saturday, and the Redbirds will be the No. 5 seed at the tournament, held Nov. 24-26, in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The Redbirds will face No. 4 seed Southern Illinois at 5 p.m. Thursday.

Aly Dawson led the Redbirds with a team-high 17 kills in Saturday’s match. Dawson was one of four Redbirds to reach double-digit kills, as Ella Francis added 11, while Jaelyn Keene and Ratasha Garbes chipped in 10 each; Garbes’ total marked a career high. Jacqueline Twing dished out 27 assists and Courtney Pence tallied 27 digs for the Redbirds.

Illinois State ran out to a quick lead in the opening set, scoring the first four points. Drake quickly erased the lead and later grabbed a lead of its own. The Redbirds scored two points in a row to tie it at 22-22 and force a Bulldog timeout, but Drake scored the next two to get to set point, and finished off the set moments later on a Redbird attacking error.

Drake carried momentum into the second set as the Bulldogs never trailed en route to taking a 2-0 lead in the match. Kyla Inderski tallied eight of her match-high 18 kills in the set to help the Bulldogs take the lead into the break.

Illinois State got one back in the third. A five-point run early on staked the Redbirds to a 12-6 lead, and another five-point binge later pushed the ISU lead to 21-11. A kill from Garbes on set point made it a 2-1 match.

Close early on, the fourth set turned when Drake ran off six-straight points to take a 12-7 lead. The Redbirds were able to trim the lead back to two late, at 22-20, but a kill and a block from Drake’s Capris Quaites got the Bulldogs to match point, and a Redbird attacking error shortly after sealed the win for the visitors.

After the win, Illinois State recognized the contributions of graduating seniors Annchara Montgomery, Dawson, Garbes and Twing, as part of Senior Day festivities.

Thursday’s match, and all five matches from the Valley Tournament.

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