BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (9/21/24) – Another blistering offensive performance lifted the Arkansas State volleyball team to its second consecutive sweep to end non-conference play, this time over Eastern Illinois on Saturday inside E.A. Diddle Arena.
A-State (10-2) concluded the Alyssa Cavanaugh Classic with back-to-back three-set wins and hit .395 in the win over the Panthers (4-6). The Red Wolves also served well, firing eight aces.
Kaitlin Whitlock led all players with 11 kills and 10 digs, hitting .450 while serving an ace. She tied for the team lead in points (12.0) with Grace Wiley, who recorded 10 kills and three blocks (one solo) while hitting .333. Erin Madigan paced the Red Wolves' setters with 24 assists and a solo block, while Sarah Martinez, Mia Maloney and Haley Glunz served two aces apiece.
A-State surged out to an early 7-1 lead in the opening set following back-to-back aces from Martinez and kills by Whitlock and Wiley. After EIU pulled back within three, the Red Wolves widened the gap back out to 17-10 on another Wiley kill. Cail then put the count at 24-17 with a kill before Wiley recorded a solo block to clinch the 25-17 opening-set win. The Red Wolves hit .393 in the frame, led by Wiley's .714 clip.
The teams traded leads early in the second set, but Madigan connected with Whitlock for a go-ahead kill to make it 10-9. After Eastern Illinois used a timeout, Cail recorded back-to-back kills to put the score at 22-15, followed by an ace by Madigan. Kills by Cail and Bailey Hall bookended an EIU point, but A-State took a two-set lead with a 25-16 second-set victory.
The third set featured 16 ties and eight lead changes, ultimately leading to extra points, while neither team held a lead larger than three points. A-State owned the first match-point opportunity after a Whitlock kill made it 24-23, but the Panthers saved it to extend the set. Whitlock tallied another kill to make it 25-24 before sealing the match with an ace.
NEXT UP
A-State returns home next weekend to open Sun Belt Conference play, hosting Georgia State in a pair of contests. First serve inside First National Bank Arena is set for 6 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday, with both matches broadcasted by ESPN Plus.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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