McLean County Times

Illinois State University's volleyball team is set to continue its Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) journey with upcoming matches against Missouri State and Southern Illinois. After opening the season at home, the Redbirds will travel to Springfield for a Friday night match against Missouri State, followed by a Saturday afternoon game in Carbondale against Southern Illinois.

The match on Friday will commence at 6:00 p.m. CT, while Saturday's game is scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. CT start. It is noted that there will be no broadcast available for the Saturday match.

Aida Shadewald, a junior from Illinois State, has distinguished herself this season by being one of only two players in the MVC with over 250 points. Her total of 251.5 points places her 19th in NCAA Division I rankings, and her 218 kills are second in the Valley and 20th nationwide.

The Redbirds have shown strong performance in various categories within the conference. They lead the MVC in team assists and kills, ranking among the top ten nationally in both areas. The team also ranks highly in team digs, placing them second within the conference and among the top ten in NCAA Division I.

Senior setter Mekaila Aupiu has been impactful since joining Illinois State prior to this season. She leads her team with 587 assists and ranks fifth nationally. Additionally, she is third on her team with 21 blocks and holds a national rank of 95th for assists per set.

Earlier this season, Illinois State achieved a significant victory by sweeping Army 3-0 during the Billiken Invitational on September 6, which included a notable third set win with a score of 32-30—the first time they scored over 30 points to win a set since November 2019 against Drake.

For further updates on Illinois State volleyball activities, fans can visit GoRedbirds.com or follow their social media accounts on X, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

GoRedbirds.com provides comprehensive coverage including tickets information, Weisbecker Athletic Fund gifts details, multimedia access, merchandise options, photos and more.