McLean County Times

Illinois State University's women's basketball team is set for a road trip to face Valparaiso and UIC this week. The Redbirds, currently holding a 9-7 record overall and 3-2 in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC), aim to recover from recent games as they play against Valparaiso on Friday at 6 p.m. and UIC on Sunday at 2 p.m.

The Redbirds have maintained a six-game winning streak against Valparaiso, marking it as their fourth-longest active win streak against any current MVC opponent. They lead the all-time series with Valparaiso by a significant margin of 14-4. In contrast, Illinois State holds a dominant 20-4 advantage over UIC in their all-time encounters, including three wins out of four since UIC joined the MVC in 2022.

Addison Martin has been recognized as the MVC Newcomer of the Week for her performance last week. She averaged 13 points, seven rebounds, one and a half assists, and two steals per game while shooting an impressive 78.5% from the field during matches against UNI and Drake.

Freshman Trista Fayta has emerged as a key player, leading all Valley freshmen with 15 assists in conference play this season. Her performance includes recording seven assists in a game against Indiana State earlier this month.

On Sunday, Illinois State will compete against an in-state rival for the fourth time this season, aiming to continue their unbeaten run against teams from Illinois. Since the beginning of the 2019-2020 season, they boast an impressive record of 38 wins and nine losses against in-state opponents.

Further information about tickets and merchandise can be found on GoRedbirds.com or through the Illinois State Redbirds App.