The Illinois State volleyball team begins the 2023 Missouri Valley Conference season Friday, September 22, at CEFCU Arena with its annual Pack the Arena match.
The Drake Bulldogs (7-5) are the opponent, and first serve is at 6 p.m. Admission is free for all fans, with the first 250 students taking home an Illinois State specialty T-shirt as part of Shirtember by presenting their Illinois State University ID.
While the start to the season hasn’t been what the Redbirds (2-10) had hoped for, the team is trending in the right direction. Illinois State collected its first two wins of the year with sweeps over St. Thomas and Green Bay at the Capital Credit Union Classic last weekend in Wisconsin.
Outside hitter Aida Shadewald, a sophomore, had career highs in two of the tournament’s matches with a total of 33 kills. She likes what she’s seen lately from her team.
“We’ve worked really hard the last two weeks, and I think we’ve had a lot of growth as a team, especially in areas like relationships and connections,” Shadewald said. “Now that we’ve played together for four weekends, those relationships off the court are starting to directly affect our playing. I’m very excited about that and to see where the rest of the season takes us.”
Middle blocker Hannah Reichensperger, also a sophomore, had a new three-set career high with 13 kills during the tournament in Wisconsin. She said the level of team chemistry has translated into trusting each other in the heat of competition.
“I feel that I can trust each of my teammates to do what they are supposed to do on the court, and I know my team trusts me to do what I am there to do,” she said. “Our last weekend of preseason play was really successful and showed us what we’re capable of when we work together as a team and stay focused throughout a whole match. Going into conference, I’m really excited to demonstrate how much we have grown and come together as a team.”
Another player to watch going into this weekend is libero Mari Hinkle, a graduate student. Hinkle is just 35 digs away from reaching 1,000 for her career. Hinkle is currently 40th in the NCAA for digs per set at a 4.76 clip.
Shadewald is excited about the electric atmosphere that defines Pack the Arena events.
“I love playing at home, and the fans are a big part of that,” she said. “They bring so much energy to CEFCU, and we all take pride in representing the University.”
Reichensperger shared her teammate’s enthusiasm for getting this weekend of home volleyball going.
“I’m super excited for the energy that Pack the Arena games bring,” Reichensperger said. “We love to play in loud, exciting environments. When the crowd is excited with us, it is so much easier and more fun for us to get excited.”
In addition to Friday night’s match, the Redbirds host the University of Northern Iowa on Saturday at 7 p.m. at CEFCU Arena.
