McLean County Times

On Saturday, the Illinois State volleyball team celebrated its seniors with a decisive victory over Indiana State. Seniors Aida Shadewald and Hannah Reichensperger led the Redbirds with 13 and 11 kills respectively, while fellow senior Arianna Rossi contributed 17 digs in their final scheduled home match.

Illinois State started strong in the first set, taking early leads of 3-0 and 5-1 before winning the set 25-19. In the second set, Indiana State briefly led by four points at 10-6, but Illinois State responded with seven consecutive points to regain control and eventually win the set 25-20. The Redbirds maintained momentum in the third set, never trailing as they secured a 25-15 win to complete a sweep.

The match marked senior day for Arianna Rossi, Colleen Hege, Hannah Reichensperger, and Aida Schadewald. The team recorded an attack percentage of .273 while limiting Indiana State to .108. This performance ended Illinois State’s three-game streak of hitting .300 or better and also broke a three-game stretch of holding opponents under a .100 attack percentage.

With this win, Illinois State improved its all-time record against Indiana State to 74-10 and extended its winning streak over the Sycamores to eight matches—including five consecutive sweeps.

Shadewald’s effort included two service aces, bringing her career total to 126—just one behind Laura Doornbos for twelfth-most in program history. Reichensperger reached double-digit kills for the seventh time this season and added five blocks. Rossi has now recorded double-digit digs in twenty matches this year.

Other contributors included Ruth Ziegler (six kills), Logan Grevengoed (six kills), Oliwia Caputa (five kills), Ella Craggs (18 assists), Audrey Clark (14 assists), and additional defensive efforts from Shadewald and Caputa with eight digs each.

The Redbirds will conclude their regular season on the road against Valparaiso on November 14 and UIC on February 15.