NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State volleyball team (19-13) completed a five-set comeback over top-seeded Loyola Chicago to win their third-straight Missouri Valley Conference Tournament title and earn a fourth-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance on Saturday afternoon inside Redbird Arena.
After dropping the first two sets to the Ramblers, the Redbirds had to win three-straight in order to keep their 2021 season alive. Despite falling 28-30 in set two, the 'Birds used the momentum from the long set to dominate in what was a must-win third set.
Illinois State took set three in dominating fashion, holding Loyola Chicago to just 10 points with only six kills. The Redbirds would nail 17 kills on an insane .615 hitting percentage to get their first set win of the night.
Like set two, the fourth set would also take extra points to see an end, but this time the 'Birds were the ones that won the battle, evening the score at 2-2 to force a fifth and final set. The Ramblers had a three-point advantage for much of the fifth set before a pair of errors helped Illinois State to their fourth-straight point and a 12-10 lead. The two teams traded off points, but the Redbirds held on for their 13th MVC Tournament title, ending it with sophomore Kaitlyn Prondzinski's 20th kill of the night.
UP NEXT
Illinois State invites all fans to come celebrate the Redbirds' MVC Championship tomorrow evening at Redbird Arena. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. with the Championship Tradition to begin at 7 p.m. followed by the 7:30 p.m. NCAA Selection Show where the 'Birds will find out their opponent and site for the First Round of the NCAA Tournament.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Prondzinski led a group of four Redbirds who recorded 15 or more kills against the Ramblers, finishing with a career-best 20 kills for the first 20-kill performance of her career.
- Freshman Aliyah Moore posted a five-set career-high with 16 kills, while hitting .483.
- The duo of Tamara Otene and Sarah Kushner each added 15 kills each to round out the Redbirds with double-digit kills. Kushner also added 14 digs for her 19th double-double effort of the season.
- Junior libero Kaity Weimerskirch matched a season-best 29 digs, while adding six assists in the win.
- ISU's setting duo of Nora Janka and Katelyn Lefler combined for 63 assists with Janka leading the way with 36 on the night.
- Sophomore Cassie Jordan matched her career high with nine blocks, while Nicole Lund chipped in six to lead Illinois State's blocking efforts.
NOTABLES
- The Redbirds became the first team to win back-to-back-to-back titles since UNI in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
- The last time Illinois State won three in a row was when the Redbirds won four-straight in 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1985.
- Illinois State improved to 7-0 at home in Valley title matches.
MVC TOURNAMENT AWARDS
QUOTES FROM HEAD COACH LEAH JOHNSON
On what she told her team after being down 0-2:
"We fought so hard in set two to lose by two in extra points and a lot of teams after that fall, but I could tell that only got us more motivated to be so close. We talked about the mountain we've been climbing all year. We just had to keep climbing, keep climbing. We needed to become the predator. We were being pushed and we needed to push back. Step back to it. Do what you do best. Serve your best serve. Take your best swing. Make them stop you. Don't try and do anything outside of yourself. They responded and we also flipped the lineup, but that's just something else."
On the journey to the third-straight MVC Tournament title:
"This championship feels very different to me. At the end I thought I was going to pass out, vomit and cry all at the same time. It was just so much; it was so overwhelming. I feel like I've been holding my breath all year, and it's because we knew this was our potential and we said it. We're going to chase our potential. I feel like we've had so many setbacks and challenges that I've been holding my breath because I wasn't sure we'd realize this. I knew we had that potential and I never questioned it when we could get to full strength. It feels different. I wouldn't say better or worse. Just different. We had the youngest starting lineup in the league, and we started with a 33 percent win percentage out of nonconference, got into conference and hit .500 and then went on the big run. We skidded a little bit at the end, but to then get rechecked again and come back up. A lot of tug of war for us this year."
QUOTE FROM SOPHOMORE KAITLYN PRONDZINSKI
On playing in the MVC Championship match & her career night:
"I was just so excited. I was so excited to be there and be in this game and be with this team and these girls. We've worked so hard to be here. Like Coach said, all the resiliency and ups and downs and everything. I didn't even realize I had 20 kills, I was just out there. I had no idea I had a career night because that wasn't my focus, but it was really cool to see."
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November 28, 2021 at 12:00PM
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Redbirds Complete Five-Set Comeback, Win Third-Straight MVC Tournament Championship - Illinois State Athletics
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