NORMAL - Illinois State hosts Wichita State on Friday and Missouri State on Saturday at Redbird Arena in Normal. Both matches start at 7:05 p.m.

Records: ISU 10-3, 2-0, WSU 8-4, 1-1, Missouri State 11-2, 2-0 (prior to facing Indiana State tonight)

Coaches: Chris Lamb is 144-82 in eight years at Wichita State. Melissa Stokes is 256-116 in 12 years at Missouri State. Sharon Dingman is 134-89 in eight years at ISU.

ISU injuries: Outside hitter Katie Seyller remains sidelined by a sprained left ankle but has resumed practicing. Outside hitter Peggy Riessen returned from a back injury last weekend after sitting out a home loss to No. 20 Ohio State.

What to watch for

- The Redbirds received their first national poll recognition in years this week when they drew three votes in the CSTV/AVCA Top 25 coaches poll. Wichita State, picked to finish second in the Valley, received 11 votes and Missouri State 31.

- Wichita State's returnees include the reigning Valley player of the year, Sara Lungren, a 6-foot-4 outside hitter averaging 3.47 kills per game. Winthrop transfer Emily Stockman, a 6-0 sophomore, leads the Valley with 4.43 kills per game.

- Missouri State's Sarah Thomas ranks sixth in the Valley in hitting percentage (.318) and seventh in kills (3.43) while teammate Jamie Adams ranks fourth in kills (3.51).

Points of interest

- ISU is off to its second-best start under Dingman, whose 2004 team opened 12-3. The Redbirds are coming off a 3-2 win at Evansville in which they lost the first two games. It was the first time ISU overcame an 0-2 deficit since Sept. 5, 2003 against Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

- ISU leads the Valley in digs (19.72 per game) and ranks third in kills (15.43). The Redbirds are the only league team with five players averaging at least three digs per game in Kasey Mollerus (4.34), Riessen (3.61), Mallory Leggett (3.58), M.C. Richmond (3.28) and Erin Lindsey (3.23). Richmond, the league's reigning player of the week, ranks second in the Valley with 3.81 kills per game.

- Wichita State's lone league loss was to preseason MVC favorite Northern Iowa (6-6, 1-1), which lost to Missouri State, the league's No. 4 preseason pick.

Talking the talk

"Wichita was probably rightly picked ahead of us. They have everybody back from a year ago and have added a really nice outside hitter transfer (in Stockman)." - ISU coach Sharon Dingman. "Missouri State, I think, is surprising everybody. They've had a couple players really step up in the absence of the freshman of the year (middle blocker Shanda Harper) leaving their program."