Sept. 9, 2010

REDBIRDS-HUSKIES SERIES
Illinois State leads the all-time series with Northeastern, 8-2. The Redbirds and Huskies played nine times from 1973-77, with Northeastern winning the first meeting and again in 1975. Illinois State won the last meeting in 1988.

REDBIRDS-RED RAIDERS SERIES
Illinois State and Texas Tech have split the four all-time meetings between the two schools, which were all played on neutral courts from 1979-82. ISU won in 1979 and 82. The first three of the matches were at the Houston Invitational and the last was at the Missouri State Invitational.

REDBIRDS-RAMS SERIES
Colorado State has won all four meetings with Illinois State. The Rams swept the Redbirds in all four matches (1986, 1987, 1998, 2007).

LEGGETT DOUBLE-DOUBLE
Last season, senior Mallory Leggett became just the fifth player in school history to amass 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in her career (Chris Rehor, Kim Nelson, Patti Hoppa, M.C. Richmond). In her final year as a Redbird, she will look to continue her climb up the career ranks in both categories. Leggett is ranked sixth in career digs (1,156) and 11th in career kills (1,236). If she maintains her career single-season averages, she could climb into the top-three in digs and the top-five in kills.

GETTING OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT
Illinois State achieved something that the program hasn't since Michael Keaton was Batman - start a season 4-0. Illinois State won its first four matches of the season for the first time since 1992 and just the eighth time in school history (1974, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1992, 2010).

GOING THE DISTANCE
In four of their eight matches this season, the Redbirds have played the full five sets. ISU is 2-2 in the five set matches this year and came from down 2-0 in three of them. ISU played five sets in all three matches of the IU adidas Classic, the first time the Redbirds played three-straight five set matches since 2008.

REDBIRDS ON THE BLOCK
Illinois State had a solid defensive effort against North Carolina State in the opening match of the IU adidas Classic, recording a season-high 18 blocks as a team. The total was the most by an ISU team since 2004 and the 32 block assists were tied for the seventh-most in a match in school history. Senior Hailey Kelley had a career-high 11 block assists, tied for fifth on the ISU single-match rankings.

REDBIRDS WIN CORVALLIS INVITATIONAL TITLE
Illinois State won the 2010 Corvallis Invitational title to start the season. The Redbirds came from down two sets to beat Sacramento State, swept Portland and topped host Oregon State in four sets. Senior Mallory Leggett and freshman Shannon McGlaughlin were named to the all-tournament team, combining for 93 of ISU's 170 kills in the three matches. Leggett, the tournament MVP, recorded 50 kills, 39 digs and seven blocks. McGlaughlin had 43 kills and 26 digs and received the first MVC Freshman of the Week award this season. Both players had double-digit kills in every match and the combined for 17 kills in ISU's first-set win over Portland.

SENIOR LEADERSHIP
The Illinois State roster in 2010 features a solid core of senior leadership with Katie Culbertson, Hailey Kelley and Mallory Leggett. All three are in their fourth year with the program and have combined for 2,027 kills, 1,331 digs and 511 blocks.

THE NEW EXPERIENCE
Illinois State has two newcomers that are a bit more acclimated to collegiate volleyball than the typical freshman. Senior Amy Sesol may be new to the ISU roster, but she is familiar with college volleyball, having played two years at Eastern Illinois (2006-07). She amassed 191 kills and 84 blocks in her two seasons with the Panthers. Freshman Shannon McGlaughlin enrolled at Illinois State in the Spring 2010 semester and participated with the Redbirds in the spring practice and tournament season.

GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics, tickets, TRC gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.