McLean County Times

Illinois State volleyball split its two matches Friday at the Owls Paradise Classic, hosted by Florida Atlantic University (FAU). The Redbirds fell to FAU in five sets before sweeping Stetson.

The matches marked the first two of three that the Redbirds will play, with the final coming against Mercer on Saturday.

In their match against FAU, Illinois State lost in five sets with scores of 25-23, 22-25, 21-25, 25-13, and 12-15. In the first set, ISU gained momentum with a 3-0 run to go ahead 14-11 and eventually won 25-23. The second set saw FAU edge out ISU with a score of 25-22 after a closely contested game. Illinois State initially led in the third set but ultimately lost it 21-25 due to a crucial run by FAU. ISU dominated the fourth set winning it decisively at 25-13 but was unable to secure victory in the fifth set which ended at 12-15 in favor of FAU.

Key performers for Illinois State included Aida Shadewald with 16 kills and Sammi Bunch who recorded her first double-double of the season with 21 digs and 11 assists. Mekaila Aupiu contributed significantly with 26 assists.

In their second match against Stetson, Illinois State won all three sets comfortably: 25-20, 25-15, and 25-13. The Redbirds managed several significant runs throughout these sets that secured their victory. Khenedi Guest led with a career-high of 14 kills on a .550 hitting percentage while Madison Smith recorded a team-high of 19 digs.

Illinois State looks to end the weekend strong on Saturday morning when it faces Mercer at 10 a.m. CT. The match will be broadcast via FloVolleyball, which requires a paid subscription.

For all updates on Illinois State volleyball, visit GoRedbirds.com or follow them on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

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