Illinois State University's volleyball team secured a straight-set victory over Murray State on Friday night, winning 25-16, 25-16, and 25-17. The match took place in Normal, Illinois.
Sophomore Ruth Ziegler led the Redbirds with 13 kills on just 16 attempts, tying her career high. Her attack percentage of .750 is among the top performances nationally this season for players with between 15 and 19 attempts.
The opening set saw early ties and one lead change after Murray State led briefly at 5-3. Illinois State responded with four consecutive points—two coming from blocks by Ziegler and Khenedi Guest—and another point on a kill by Ziegler. After taking the lead, ISU maintained control to win the first set by nine points.
In the second set, there were four lead changes and four tie scores before Illinois State pulled ahead following six straight points. Ella Craggs contributed two service aces during that run as ISU claimed another nine-point win.
Illinois State started strong in the third set and never trailed after breaking early ties at two, three, and five points apiece. The Redbirds closed out the match for a sweep.
Key individual performances included Arianna Rossi recording a match-high 19 digs to bring her career total to 993—just seven short of reaching 1,000 digs as a Division I player. Craggs notched a personal best with four service aces and led the team with 21 assists. Audrey Clark matched her career high with ten digs and added fifteen service aces for her second collegiate double-double. Guest contributed seven kills while hitting .462 for the match.
Aida Shadewald was second on the team in kills with nine while also tallying eight digs. The Redbirds hit above .300 as a team in back-to-back matches for the first time since November 2024 against Belmont and Murray State. Their sideout percentage in the first set reached a season-high of eighty-two percent.
Looking ahead, Illinois State will continue its homestand on Friday, November 7, when they host Evansville inside CEFCU Arena at 6 p.m.
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