WEST LAFAYETE, Ind. – For the fourth-straight season, the Illinois State volleyball team competed in the NCAA Tournament, when they headed to West Lafayette, Indiana, to take on No. 6 seed Purdue in the first round Thursday night. The nationally-ranked Boilermakers (24-6) took care of business on their home court, defeating the Redbirds (19-14) in three sets (25-21, 25-17, 25-11) inside Holloway Gymnasium.
The Redbirds jumped out to an early lead in set one at 2-1 on a block assist by Tamara Otene and Cassie Jordan, but the Boilermakers came back to take the advantage and led by as many as three points at 15-12, but the Redbirds closed it to one point on five occasions before eventually tying the set at 19-19 on a kill by Sarah Kushner.