McLean County Times

The Illinois State volleyball team faced a challenging match against Evansville, resulting in a five-set loss on Friday night. The game marked the beginning of the final leg of Illinois State's four-match road swing.

The match unfolded with Evansville taking an early lead in the first set, though Illinois State managed to secure a 25-23 win after a tightly contested game that featured 19 ties and nine lead changes. In the second set, Illinois State pulled ahead following a 3-0 run and maintained their advantage to win 25-19.

Evansville responded in the third set by regaining momentum and ultimately winning 25-19 after closing with a strong 5-0 run. They continued this performance into the fourth set, building an early lead and finishing with a decisive 25-17 victory to force a fifth set.

In the final set, Evansville led from the start and secured their win with a score of 15-7. Despite efforts from key players like Caitlyn Little, who achieved 18 kills, and Mekaila Aupiu with significant contributions in digs, assists, service aces, and blocks, Illinois State was unable to overcome Evansville's performance.

Notably, "Illinois State (.232) was outhit by Evansville (.287)" during this match. This event marks "the first five-set match between ILS and Evansville since 2019," although historically "Illinois State moves to 54-8 all-time versus Evansville."

Illinois State will conclude their road trip against Indiana State on Saturday evening.

For further updates on Illinois State volleyball activities, fans are encouraged to visit GoRedbirds.com or follow them on various social media platforms.