Valparaiso University

Despite impressive performances on the attack Friday from Ava Helming (Johnston, Iowa/Johnston) and Jessica Pickett (Carmel, Ind./Carmel), the Valpo volleyball team dropped a 3-1 (23-25, 25-19, 27-25, 25-23) decision at Illinois State Friday evening.
 
How It Happened

• Valpo only trailed once in the opening set, and that was just a one-point deficit at 5-4. But the Beacons only pushed their lead to as many as four points as the Redbirds stayed within striking distance.
• Illinois State rallied to tie the score on three occasions late, at points 21, 22 and 23 — the latter creating a race to two. Valpo earned set point thanks to a kill by Helming, and took the 1-0 lead in the match as Maggie Uhwat (Spring Grove, Ill./Richmond Burton Community [Central Michigan]) recorded a kill.
• The Beacons found themselves behind the eight-ball in the second set, as the Redbirds scored the first six points of the set. Valpo got no closer than four points the rest of the way as the match was evened at one set apiece.
• It was a 4-0 start for the Beacons in set three, but Illinois State rallied to take a 7-6 lead — setting up a frame which featured 10 ties and five lead changes. It looked like Valpo was about to take control of the match when it earned set point at 24-22 before the Redbirds scored three in a row to turn the tables, and while the Beacons held off one ISU set point, the Redbirds took the next two points to win the set.
• The first two-point lead in the fourth set, which contained 17 ties and eight lead changes, came as Illinois State turned a 17-16 Valpo lead into a 22-18 deficit. The Beacons responded with five of the next six points, a stretch which included two kills by Jordyn Gove (Amarillo, Texas/Randall) and capped by a kill from Kyla Bellich (Thomson, Ill./Prince of Peace Catholic), to make it a race to two at 23-23, but the Redbirds scored the next two to close out the match.

 
Inside the Match

• Helming led the Beacons' attack with 17 kills on 30 swings, committing just one attack error as she hit at a .533 clip. She added 11 digs as well for her eighth double-double of the year.
• The junior tallied the 200^th block of her collegiate career during Friday's match and ended the contest just 12 kills away from becoming the 21^st player in program history with 1,000 career kills.
• For the second straight match, Pickett set a career best in the kills column, finishing Friday's contest with 15 kills on just 28 swings, hitting at a .429 clip.
• Gove notched 14 kills and 11 digs for her 14^th double-double of the season.
• Mia McCall (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) dished out a season-best 30 assists and posted a .545 setting percentage, while Olivia Wagner (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville South) tallied 28 assists.
• Valpo dropped Friday's match despite holding narrow edges of 62-60 in kills and .276-.270 in hitting percentage over the Redbirds. The Beacons have posted two of their three highest hitting percentages of the year in the two matches against ISU, but have lost both contests.

 
Next Up
Valpo (11-12, 3-8 MVC) closes out its swing through central Illinois with a 5 p.m. match Saturday at Bradley.