Marc Martindale Associate Athletic Director/Events & Facilities | LinkedIn
Marc Martindale Associate Athletic Director/Events & Facilities | LinkedIn
The Illinois State volleyball team (3-4) will travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for the Panther Invitational hosted by UW-Milwaukee (3-4). The Redbirds are set to compete against the Panthers, St. Thomas (3-4), and Iowa (4-2) on Friday and Saturday.
Live statistics will be available for all three matches, with the Friday evening contest against Milwaukee streamed on ESPN+.
**Schedule:**
- **Friday:** 11:00 a.m. CT vs St. Thomas | YouTube | Live Stats
- **Friday:** 7:00 p.m. CT at Milwaukee | ESPN+ | Live Stats
- **Saturday:** 12:00 p.m. CT vs Iowa | YouTube | Live Stats
Tickets for the Panther Invitational are sold on a per-day basis at $7 each and can be purchased in advance.
Illinois State enters the weekend with a record of 7-4 against their Panther Invitational opponents, holding a 3-1 record versus Iowa, 3-3 versus UW-Milwaukee, and 1-0 versus St. Thomas.
Senior setter Mekaila Aupiu has made a significant impact since joining Illinois State before the 2024 season. Aupiu leads the team with 273 assists, ranking tenth nationally, is second on the team in block solos (3), and ranks tied for 67th in NCAA assists per set (9.75).
Sophomore outside hitter Caitlyn Little has emerged as one of ISU's top offensive threats this season. Little ranks second on the team with 60 kills and is hitting at .240. She has also set new career highs this season with 18 kills against Illinois on September 3 and six digs versus Army on September 6.
Illinois State secured a 3-0 sweep over Army in the Billiken Invitational on September 6, including a notable third set win with a score of 32-30—the first time ISU scored over 30 points in a set since November 2019 versus Drake.
Nine athletes made their CEFCU Arena debut during the Linda Herman Volleyball Classic on August 30-31, including all six true freshmen.
Junior Aida Shadewald received preseason All-MVC honors after earning All-MVC First Team honors in 2023. Shadewald joins members from UNI, Drake, Evansville, and Murray State on the Preseason All-MVC team for 2024.
For updates on Illinois State volleyball, visit GoRedbirds.com or follow the team on social media platforms X, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
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