McLean County Times

Illinois State University's volleyball team secured a victory against Southern Illinois on Saturday in Carbondale. The Redbirds, now with a season record of 8-9 and 3-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC), claimed their third consecutive MVC win by defeating the Salukis, who hold an 8-8 overall record and are 1-4 in the conference.

The match extended over four sets. After winning the first set, Illinois State dropped the second but rallied to win both the third and fourth sets. In set one, Illinois State established an early lead, forcing Southern Illinois to call a timeout at 10-7. Despite efforts from Southern Illinois to close the gap, the Redbirds clinched a 25-22 victory.

The second set was closely contested until a late surge by Southern Illinois led to their 25-20 win. In set three, tied at 15-15, Illinois State went on a run to pull ahead and eventually won the set 25-22. The final set saw Illinois State take control early with a significant lead, holding off a late comeback attempt by Southern Illinois to secure another 25-22 win.

Key performances for Illinois State included Caitlyn Little with 16 kills and Aida Shadewald with her tenth double-double of the year, recording 15 kills and 18 digs. Mekaila Aupiu contributed significantly with 45 assists.

"Illinois State (.222) was outhit by Southern Illinois (.263)," but managed to capitalize on key moments throughout the match.

Looking ahead, Illinois State will host Indiana State and Evansville next weekend as part of their Alumni Weekend events at CEFCU Arena.

For further updates on their games and activities, fans can visit GoRedbirds.com or follow them on various social media platforms including X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.