McLean County Times

After a weekend of away games, the Illinois State volleyball team is set to return to its home court for two matches during the university’s Homecoming Weekend. The Redbirds will face Drake at 6 p.m. on Friday and Southern Illinois at 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Sophomore Khenedi Guest has made an impact in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) this season, ranking second in attack percentage, 12th in kills per set, and third in blocks per set. Guest is one of only seven players in the MVC to rank in the top 30 in all three categories, and her combined rankings are the highest among that group.

Freshman Ella Craggs was named the MVC Freshman of the Week after strong performances against UIC and Valparaiso. She became the first Illinois State freshman since 2017 to record back-to-back matches with over 40 assists in conference play. Craggs also had the fourth-most total assists among NCAA freshmen that week and posted the highest assist total in the MVC, regardless of class.

In a match against Bradley on September 27, fifth-year libero Arianna Rossi recorded 39 digs, tying for the third-highest single-match total in the country this season.

Guest also leads the MVC in total blocks and blocks per set after 18 matches, with seven more blocks than the next closest player in the conference.

The Redbirds have played in 14 sets this season that required more than 25 points to win. Their 34-32 second-set victory over Butler was the second-highest scoring set in program history and tied for the 11th-highest in the NCAA this season. Additionally, Illinois State has participated in 13 extended sets through 18 matches, the most by a Redbird team through 14 matches in program history and tied for the 14th-most in a season.

During the opening weekend’s match against Illinois, attendance reached 2,874 at CEFCU Arena, placing it among the top ten home crowds for the Redbirds since 2003.

Aida Shadewald earned her second career MVC Player of the Week award after recording 29 kills over nine sets in the opening weekend. She is averaging 3.22 kills per set with a .278 hitting percentage and is one of two players in the MVC averaging at least three kills and three digs per set. Shadewald also ranks in the top 15 in kills per set, hitting percentage, aces per set, and digs per set. "The Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin, native, led the Redbirds in kills during two of her three matches on the week, knocking down a season-high 12 in the opener against 2024 NIVC qualifier DePaul, and 11 more against Oakland in the weekend finale."

The Redbirds began the season by winning nine consecutive sets and extended that streak to 11 in their next match against Loyola, tying for the second-longest season-opening streak in school history.

Nine Illinois State players have recorded double-digit kills in a match this season, matching the most in a season since 2003.

Several Redbirds received All-Tournament Team honors this season. At the Western Michigan Tournament, Aida Shadewald, Arianna Rossi, and Ruth Ziegler were recognized, with Shadewald named Most Valuable Player. Logan Grevengoed made the All-Tournament Team at the Kwik Star Klassic, and Caitlyn Little earned honors at the Dayton Flyer Invitational.

With eight returning starters from last season and a highly rated recruiting class, Illinois State was picked to finish third in the preseason MVC Coaches Poll. Both Shadewald and Guest were selected for the preseason All-MVC team.

Illinois State holds a combined 10-2 record against Drake and Southern Illinois, including a perfect record in Nashville and a positive mark in Murray, Kentucky.