R. Jake Flannigan

sports@pantagraph.com

NORMAL - A little senior leadership can sure go a long way.

The Illinois State volleyball team made quick work of Southern Illinois, picking up its second sweep of the season (30-20, 30-25, 30-19) Friday night at Redbird Arena.

"I felt really good about coming in tonight, because I thought this was the performance that I would see," ISU coach Sharon Dingman said.

Jessie Janik brought her ferocity to her new position on the left side for the Redbirds (11-10, 5-5). Three days after setting a career high 11 kills at Valparaiso, the senior tallied eight against SIU (9-11, 4-6) and led her team with 16 digs.

"I'm feeling more and more comfortable," Janik said. "I think it starts in practice and the bar my teammates set in practice is unbelievable."

Dingman is pleased to see her veteran player thrive in her new role as an outside hitter.

"She's so gutsy," Dingman said. "It's fun to see Janik doing this. She has more than taken advantage of her opportunity and proven that is probably where she belongs."

Fellow senior Lindley McDavid produced a match-high 13 kills for ISU. According to Janik, McDavid's communication has vastly improved, but it's hard to deny that her level continues to rise.

"More than anything I think Lindley McDavid has really stepped up her leadership role," Janik said. "The way she leads is amazing and I think that's really made a big difference for us."

After a 10-point win in game one, the Salukis made it a bit tougher for the Redbirds to escape game two with the same result. ISU found itself tied at 22 with SIU, but outscored its opponent 8-3 to take a two-game lead.

Midway through what proved to be the final game of the night, the Redbirds went on a 5-0 run to force a Saluki timeout. After the brief break, ISU went on a 13-6 run to send the Salukis hobbling back to Carbondale.

"Something happened and we got on a little run," Dingman said. "I think Erin buckled down a little bit, started setting the ball better and we were able to take off."

M.C. Richmond scored on 10 of her 16 attacks for a .375 hitting percentage, while Kari Staehlin and Katie Seyller were impressive in the middle for the Redbirds. Staehlin recorded nine kills and a pair of blocks, as Seyller nailed down six kills.

According to her coach, Erin Lindsey "controlled the pace of the game," dishing out 34 set assists.

Johannah Yutzy paced SIU with eight kills and Kristy Elswick brought back to life several balls with 22 digs.

ISU will look to avenge a 3-1 loss to Evansville earlier this season when the Aces visit Redbird Arena for a 2 p.m. rematch Sunday.

"That was a really tough loss for us," Dingman said. "Those two weeks following our match with Evansville turned into a nightmare for us."

It seems the nightmare is over for the Redbirds, who have come away victorious in seven of their last nine matches.