Illinois State Director of Athletics Dr. Jeri Beggs | Official Website
Illinois State Director of Athletics Dr. Jeri Beggs | Official Website
The Illinois State volleyball team has been selected to finish third in the preseason Missouri Valley Coaches Poll, according to an announcement from St. Louis, Missouri. The team returns eight student-athletes who started at least nine matches last season and has added what is described as the top-rated recruiting class in program history.
Illinois State earned 95 poll points, tying with Drake for third place. Northern Iowa leads the poll with 120 points, followed by UIC with 107.
Two Redbirds were named to the preseason All-MVC squad. Aida Shadewald was recognized after being named to the All-MVC First Team last season. She led Illinois State with 385 kills and had a hitting percentage of .251. Shadewald also recorded a team-high 46 service aces and contributed 275 digs.
Khenedi Guest, who was named the 2024 MVC Freshman of the Year, posted a .297 attack percentage with 273 kills and led the team with 99 blocks, averaging 0.84 per set.
The Redbirds will begin their 2025 season on Friday afternoon in Kalamazoo, Michigan at the Western Michigan Tournament. Their first match will be against DePaul at 2 p.m.
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