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Odessa Cody vs. Illinois State
0
Illinois State ILS 11-6 (4-1 MVC)
3
Winner Drake DU 11-8 (2-3 MVC)
Illinois State ILS
11-6 (4-1 MVC)
0
Final
3
Drake DU
11-8 (2-3 MVC)
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Illinois State ILS 22 20 20 (0)
Drake DU 25 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | | Drake Athletic Communications

Drake Volleyball Upends MVC Leader Illinois State, 3-0

Bulldogs hit .257 to hand ISU its first Valley loss of the season

DES MOINES, Iowa — Behind a tremendous team performance, the Drake volleyball team upset Illinois State, 3-0, on Monday, Oct. 3, evening at the Knapp Center. The Bulldogs' win snapped Illinois State's eight-game win streak and was the Redbirds' first Missouri Valley Conference loss of the season.

Drake (11-8, 2-3 MVC) swept the match by set scores of 25-22, 25-20, 25-20, for the program's first win against ISU (11-6, 4-1 MVC) since 2009.

"I'm really proud of our players tonight," said head coach Darrin McBroom. "We have a phenomenal group of young women that contributed tonight to make this possible for Drake Volleyball."

As a team, the Bulldogs hit .257 while holding Illinois State to at .181 percentage. Kyla Inderski (Urbandale, Iowa) led the Drake with a 12-kill, 10-dig double-double while Odessa Cody (Chicago, Ill.) and Kameo Pope (Belle Plaine) had nine of the Bulldogs' 12 blocks. Drake held a 12-5 advantage in blocks. Cody also added eight kills on 19 attempts to continue her streak of strong play.

"We need everybody doing their job and tonight everyone did their part," McBroom said. "Our outsides did an outstanding job, our middles were exceptional and the setters delivered some very nice offense. It was a great night from everyone."

Illinois State kept pace with Drake throughout the first set that featured eight ties and five lead changes but was not able to pull through for the win. The Bulldogs put the set away with five unanswered points capped by back-to-back kills from Inderski to take the set, 25-22.

Drake used an 8-0 run behind Chandelle Davidson's (Gretna, Neb.) serving to transform a 10-6 deficit into a 14-10 lead. Much of that run was keyed by Drake's middle with four-straight points via blocks at one point.

"The blocks were huge in two ways," McBroom said "Illinois State is year in and year out one of the top teams in the Valley and to get those blocks was huge for us. It caused them frustration and did a lot of good for our momentum in the second set."

The momentum off those blocks allowed Drake to maintain that second-set lead to take the set, 25-20.

During the third set, Drake used an early 6-0 run to pull ahead, 12-3 early in the set. The Redbirds would gradually pull back within two points, 20-18, but Drake answered by scoring five of the next seven points to secure the 25-20 set win and sweep the Redbirds.

"We've been fighting as an underdog in the Valley to pull off some upsets and just haven't been able to get them against any of the top five teams. To get that done tonight, for our senrios, especially, was significant."

The Bulldogs return to the Knapp Center on Saturday, Oct. 8 to take on UNI. The match is set to begin at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on The Valley On ESPN3.

 

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