McLean County Times

Illinois State volleyball opened the Billiken Invitational with two victories, defeating Xavier 3-1 and sweeping Army 3-0 on Friday.

The Redbirds now hold a 3-3 record for the season, while Xavier falls to 0-4 and Army drops to 2-3 in 2024.

In the first match against Xavier, Illinois State secured a four-set win: 25-23, 17-25, 25-18, 25-21. The initial set saw both teams battling closely until the Redbirds closed with a decisive run. Although Xavier tied the match in the second set, Illinois State's strong finish in sets three and four ensured their victory.

Statistical leaders for Illinois State against Xavier included Aida Shadewald with 16 kills and three service aces, Sammi Bunch with a career-high of 21 digs, and Mekaila Aupiu matching her career-high of 46 assists. Despite being outhit by Xavier (.191 to .186), this marked Illinois State's first-ever win over Xavier.

In their second match against Army, Illinois State achieved a sweep with scores of 25-20, 25-20, and an extended third set at 32-30. The Redbirds maintained early leads in each set but faced strong resistance from Army. Ultimately, they prevailed through extra points in the final set.

Against Army, key performers for Illinois State included Aida Shadewald with another standout performance of 12 kills and Maggie McCrary leading with six total blocks. Despite being outhit by Army (.235 to .227), Illinois State finished with nine blocks compared to Army’s five. Notably, sophomore Caitlyn Little recorded a new career high in kills for a three-set match (10).

Illinois State will conclude their participation in the Billiken Invitational with a game against host Saint Louis on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT. The match will be available for streaming via ESPN+.

For further updates on Illinois State volleyball, visit GoRedbirds.com or follow the team on social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.