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Watch now: ISU volleyball team to meet No. 6 Purdue in NCAA Tournament first-round match

NORMAL — Illinois State will face Purdue, the No. 6 overall seed, on Thursday in an NCAA Volleyball Tournament first-round match at West Lafayette, Ind., as pairings were released Sunday night.

The Redbirds (19-13) gained their fourth straight NCAA appearance by defeating Loyola in five sets Saturday in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championship match at Redbird Arena.

It is the first time ISU has qualified for the NCAA tourney four years in a row since 1982-85.

ISU sophomore Kaitlyn Prondzinski was named the tourney's most valuable player after recording a career-high 20 kills against the Ramblers after the Redbirds lost the first two sets.