All Treats at the ARC as Volleyball Extends Winning Streak to Five
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There were no tricks at the ARC Saturday night for Valpo volleyball fans, only treats, as the Beacons completed a perfect weekend and extended their winning streak to five straight matches with a 3-1 (20-25, 25-18, 25-16, 25-22) victory over Illinois State.
How It Happened
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Valpo led 6-5 early in set one before the Redbirds went on a 10-3 run to pull out to a 15-9 lead. The Beacons came back with three in a row to close to within 15-12, but ISU answered with four points in a row and maintained at least a four-point lead the rest of the way to take the opener.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â The second set played out in similar fashion, just with the teams reversed. It was Illinois State with an early 9-6 edge before Valpo put together a 9-2 run to turn the tables and take a 15-11 lead. Freshman Jordyn Gove (Amarillo, Texas/Randall) had three kills during the run, while classmate Ava Helming (Johnston, Iowa/Johnston) tallied two kills and a block.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Later in the set, with the score sitting at 18-15 Valpo, the Beacons scored four in a row to put things away. The spurt started with a kill from freshman Jessica Pickett (Carmel, Ind./Carmel) and was capped by back-to-back rejections by Pickett and Helming to set Valpo up to even the match at one set apiece.
–         It was all Valpo early in set three, as Helming and Gove had two kills apiece in an 8-2 run to start the set. Illinois State got to within three twice in the frame, but both times, Valpo pulled back away — at 8-5, the Beacons reeled off five points in a row, and then at 16-13, the Beacons scored nine of the set’s final 12 points to take the 2-1 lead in the match.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â The fourth set proved to be the most hotly contested, with six ties and five lead changes. ISU took the lead early, forcing a quick Valpo timeout at 3-0, and led past the midway point, getting its advantage up to five points at 15-10.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â The Beacons erased what seemed a comfortable Redbird lead with a 7-1 run, which included two blocks from junior Maddie Moan (Woodstock, Ill./Woodstock [Milwaukee]). A setter dump from junior Addy Kois (Osceola, Ind./Penn) resulted in the first lead change of the set, as Valpo pulled in front, 17-16.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â That set up a battle for control. Consecutive kills for ISU were countered by a kill from senior Elise Swistek (LaPorte, Ind./New Prairie) and a Redbird error to make it 19-18 Beacons. The Redbirds then took advantage of back-to-back Valpo errors to pull ahead, 20-19.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â It was a tag-team performance from Pickett and Helming which gave Valpo the lead for good. A kill from Pickett evened things up yet again, and the duo combined on a block to put the Beacons in front before a Helming kill made it 22-20. After an ISU kill, the two freshmen joined together for another rejection.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â A kill by Gove moved Valpo to match point at 24-21, and on its second opportunity, it was fittingly Helming closing out another big evening with a kill to put the bow on the match.
How It Happened
–         The win was Valpo’s first at the ARC over Illinois State since joining the MVC. The Redbirds had previously won all six conference matchups on Valpo’s home court.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â After starting the season just 1-6 when losing the first set, the Beacons have won the last three times they have dropped the opening frame.
–         The Beacons have won five in a row, good for solo second among the program’s winning streaks in MVC play. Last year’s squad claimed six consecutive wins in Valley action.
–         The correlation slope between the winning streak and Helming’s prowess on the attack might as well be a perfect 45-degree angle. The rookie continued her recent onslaught at the net Saturday with a match-high 17 kills on .433 hitting and also added five blocks, one shy of her season best.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Over the last five wins, Helming is averaging 3.59 kills/set on .401 hitting, while her kill percentage over that stretch is above 50%.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Gove joined her classmate in double figures in the kill department with 14 kills and added a pair of aces as well. The freshman has reached at least 10 kills in six of her last nine matches.
–         Swistek was held to under 10 kills for the first time in Valpo’s last six matches, but her defensive work shone on Saturday. The senior racked up a match-high 22 digs, her 15th career match with at least 20 digs.
–         Nine of Swistek’s 22 digs were converted immediately into kills, while eight of her 17 serve receptions resulted in first-ball kills.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Junior Emma Hickey (Granger, Ind./Penn) picked up 14 digs and racked up 36 serve receptions without an error in the win.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â As a team, Valpo gave up just one service ace to ISU Saturday, on a serve which hit the tape and just trickled over. It was the fourth time this season the Beacons have surrendered just one ace to their opponent.
–Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Sophomore Mara Thomas (Bogart, Ga./Athens Academy) posted her best set percentage of the year in MVC play and second-highest overall, delivering 28 assists on just 57 set attempts.
–         The Beacons racked up 11 team blocks, their ninth time this season in double digits in that category. Pickett led the way with six rejections, while Moan joined Helming with five blocks. Moan has tallied 16 blocks over Valpo’s last three matches.
Next Up
Valpo (14-9, 6-5) has enjoyed the friendly confines of the ARC over three of the last four weekends, but will now head into enemy territory in each of the next two weekends. The road stretch begins next Friday, Nov. 1 with a 6 p.m. match at Missouri State.