NORMAL, Ill. – In front of an electric crowd of 3,850 fans, the Illinois State volleyball team (6-1) opened the Redbird Classic, presented by The Edge Apartments, with a thrilling 3-1 win over in-state rival and nationally-ranked Illinois (2-3) on Friday night.
The last time Illinois State stunned an opponent ranked this high was in 1996, when the Redbirds upset then-No. 8 Notre Dame in five sets. Additionally, tonight's win marks Illinois State's first win over Illinois since Aug. 31, 2006, to level the series at 30 games apiece.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 >> Illinois State opened on a 9-2 run, behind a pair of kills from newcomer Sarah Kushner and the Redbirds' first service ace of the night, forcing the Illini to use a timeout.