ISU is looking to continue its success in athletics into the spring. (Photo courtesy goredbirds.com)

By Adam Studzinski

NORMAL – To say the fall sports season has been a success for Illinois State University athletics would likely be an understatement.

ISU's volleyball, soccer, and football teams all took home Missouri Valley Conference championships and made the national tournament…and they only lost one combined game in the process. Athletics director Larry Lyons called the fall season "unprecedented."

"I can't think of too many other campuses that had those kinds of conference records at any level, in any conference," he said.

Of course, the season isn't over yet.

"It's been a great ride and we're not done," said Lyons. "We've got one more game for football before we can close the book on the fall. Hopefully we can go out with a win in January."

That one game is the FCS championship match against North Dakota State University on Jan. 10 in Frisco, Texas.

Lyons said this year's success says a lot about the coaching and students at ISU. He added it raises the bar as the school looks to the spring season.

"Hopefully our other coaches are noticing that we've had some good success in the fall," said Lyons. "We need to replicate that in the winter and the spring and then see if we can do it again in a year."

The ultimate goal for the year, Lyons said, would be the Missouri Valley All Sports Award. ISU last won the award after the 2009-2010 academic year.

Adam Studzinski can be reached at [email protected].