NORMAL, ILL. - The Drake University volleyball team dropped a hard-fought, 3-1 (23-25, 23-25, 25-23, 25-27) Missouri Valley Conference match at Illinois State Saturday, coming up short in a post-intermission rally. The Bulldogs won game three after dropping the initial pair, but couldn't sustain the rally in game four.

Defense ruled as the teams played it close all night. Illinois State's 8-4 lead in game one served as the match's largest advantage.

The Bulldogs registered a season-high 15 total blocks, led by senior Alisa DeBerg Roth's (Hudson, Iowa) season-best six block assists. DeBerg Roth added 10 kills, four assists and two digs from the outside hitter position. Drake held a 15-6 advantage in total blocks over the Redbirds.

Sophomore middle blocker Emily Heffernen (Manchester, Iowa) added five total blocks, tied a season-high with five digs and tallied 12 kills, one short of her season high.

Senior Alana Wittenburg (Readlyn, Iowa) tallied a game-best 32 digs, accounting for more than a third of Drake's 94 total digs. The Bulldogs' dig total was by far the highest of the season in a four-set match, besting the previous high of 81 against Green Bay.

Senior Angela Bys (Marion, Iowa) led Drake with 19 kills and was one dig away from her 10th double-double of the season.

The Bulldogs fell to 17-3 on the season and 3-3 in the Valley. Indiana State improved to 12-6 overall and 2-3 in the MVC.

Drake hosts Wichita State Friday at 7 p.m.