Aida Shadewald, player | Illinois State Redbirds
Aida Shadewald, player | Illinois State Redbirds
Illinois State University's volleyball team secured a decisive victory over Evansville, winning in straight sets 25-9, 25-12, and 25-18. Senior Arianna Rossi reached a significant career milestone by surpassing 1,000 digs during the match. Rossi recorded a match-high 16 digs, bringing her collegiate total to 1,009 across her time at Southern Utah and Illinois State. She also contributed one of the team's three service aces.
The Redbirds continued their strong offensive performance with a hitting percentage above .300 for the third consecutive match—a streak tied for the eighth-longest since 1997 for the program. The team's .385 hitting percentage marked its highest of the season. Defensively, Illinois State allowed only 39 points in the match, tying for the third-fewest points conceded since 2016 and marking their lowest since allowing just 33 points against Evansville on September 28, 2018.
Aida Shadewald registered her fifth double-double of the season with a match-high 12 kills and added ten digs. She also matched her season high with four blocks. Hannah Reichensperger finished with ten kills—her sixth game this season reaching double digits—and tied her season best with six blocks. Khenedi Guest contributed nine kills and three blocks.
Setters Audrey Clark and Ella Craggs each tallied 21 assists; Clark added six digs while Craggs had five. Both players also delivered a service ace.
The Redbirds limited Evansville to a .053 hitting percentage—the third straight match in which Illinois State has held its opponent below .100 and the fifth such occurrence this season.
Illinois State will play its final home match of the regular season on Saturday at 5 p.m., hosting Indiana State Sycamores. Following that contest, seniors Rossi, Colleen Hege, Reichensperger, and Shadewald will be recognized for their contributions to the program.
"Arianna Rossi achieved the career 1,000-dig milestone as the Redbird offense had its third consecutive match with a hitting percentage over .300," according to Illinois State University Athletics.
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