DES MOINES, IOWA ? Nearly pulling off a feat which had not been accomplished since the Drake freshmen class was in second grade, the Bulldogs came up just short of their first volleyball victory over Illinois State since 1996 as the Redbirds rallied to post a 3-2 (30-18, 27-30, 30-32, 30-27, 15-12) win versus Drake in Missouri Valley Conference play on Saturday evening (Sept. 29).
After dropping a 30-18 decision in game one, the Bulldogs behind an enthusiastic home crowd took the second frame, 30-27, to sent the contest all square at one into the intermission break.
Drake continued to excel in the third game as the Blue and White attacked the ball at a .308 clip en route to the victory. The win was not easy as the Bulldogs withstood match point as freshmen
Angela Bys (Marion, Iowa/Marion) knocked down one of her match-best 22 kills to even the game at 30, before kills by sophomore
Chelsea Lauersdorf (Watertown, Wis./Watertown) and Bys provided the 32-30 margin.
On the strength of a .318 hitting percentage in the four frame, Illinois State withstood every effort Drake threw at it in evening the contest at two, with a 30-27 game-four triumph.
In the winner-take-all fifth game, the Redbirds raced out to a 9-2 lead before fending off a furious Bulldog attack in securing their 23rd consecutive victory over Drake.
Bys led three Bulldogs with double-figures in kills with 22. Joining her was sophomore
Emily Madden (Van Meter, Iowa/Adel DeSoto Minburn) and senior
Samantha Nelson (Ceresco, Neb./Raymond Central) with 21 and 10, respectively. A career-best 22 digs provided Madden with her team-leading sixth double-double of the campaign.
Lauersdorf pushed out a team-high 48 assists in the contest. Freshman
Alana Wittenburg (Readlyn, Iowa/Wapsie Valley) and senior
Sarah Schuster (Indianola, Iowa/Indianola) chipped in 18 and 11 digs to the Drake cause.
Mallory Leggett led three Redbirds registering double-doubles as she posted a 21-kill, 12-dig performance. MC Richmond and Peggy Riessen accounted for the other two Illinois State double-doubles.
The Redbirds won a tight battle of the stats besting Drake in kills (77-66), assists (72-58), digs (93-86) and blocks (12.0-9.0). The Bulldogs finished the affair attacking the ball at a .126 rate, while Illinois State recorded a .239 hitting percentage.
Drake returns to the road next weekend as the Blue and White face Southern Illinois and Evansville on Friday (Oct. 5) and Saturday (Oct. 6), respectively. Both matches commence at 7:00 p.m.
