NOTEBOOK (PDF)
The Missouri Valley Conference finished the third week of non-conference action with a 17-19 record. This week will be the final week of the non-league schedule before league play begins on Friday, September 27.
B1G Win in Normal
Illinois State claimed the MVC’s first Top 25 win of the 2019 season with a 3-1 win over #14 Illinois. The last time Illinois State stunned an opponent ranked this high was in 1996, when the Redbirds upset then-No. 8 Notre Dame in five sets. Additionally, Friday’s win marked Illinois State’s first win over Illinois since Aug. 31, 2006, to level the series at 30 games apiece.
Hot Start
For the third time in five seasons, and second-straight year under the direction of head coach Leah Johnson, Illinois State is off to a 7-2 start. The best start in program history was a 9-1 start to the 1992 season, going 14-2 in the first 16 matches, and finishing the year 30-4 overall.
AVCA Top-25
Illinois State is now receiving votes in the latest AVCA Top 25 poll, tallying 49 votes in this week’s poll (Sept. 16). The Redbirds sit as the 28th team this week. Illinois State last appeared in the AVCA Top 25 on Oct. 9, 1984, coming in at No. 10. ISU has only been ranked during two seasons, 1983 and 1984.
Top-25 Matchup
The Valley weekend schedule features one match against a school ranked in this week’s AVCA poll. UNI will face its sixth ranked opponent on Saturday as the Panthers travel to #8 Marquette.
Record Setter
Evansville freshman Melanie Feliciano had a performance for the ages on Saturday against Eastern Illinois. She set an Evansville program record with 36 kills in 95 attempts. Her 95 attempts also set the MVC record. Her tally of 36 kills was tied for the second-highest total in a single match in league history. The 36 kills are the most in a five-set match in NCAA Division I so far this season (Through Sept. 15).
Feliciano Leading All Rookies
Evansville’s Melanie Feliciano jumped up the NCAA leaderboard with her record setting weekend. The freshman ranks fifth nationally in kills per set (5.44) and seventh nationally in points per set (5.81). She is currently leading all freshman nationally in both categories.
Another Aces Record
Evansville senior Gabriela Macedo added a record-setting performance of her own against Eastern Illinois as she totaled 41 digs. It set the Evansville program record while also etching herself in the MVC record book. Her total was the 6th-most in league history. She is one of just 16 players in the history of the MVC to post 41 or more digs in a single match.
Elite Company
Bradley’s Hannah Thompson is one of a handful players in the nation to lead their team in both kills and digs. Through matches of Sept. 15, Thompson is the only player in the nation to have 100 or more kills and at least 150 digs. Thompson ranks 70th nationally in digs per set this season. She has posted seven consecutive double-doubles entering the final weekend of non-conference action and is nine kills short of becoming just the eighth player in school history to reach 500 career kills as a sophomore.
Tough Defenses
Bradley and Valparaiso are ranked among the top 10 nationally in digs per set. The Braves sit 4th in digs per set (19.26), while Valpo sits seventh (18.24). Last season, Valpo led the nation in total digs, while the prior year, the Crusaders led the country in digs/set. The Braves have ranked in the top 11 in the country in digs per set each of the last two years.
Going the Distance
Southern Illinois has played in four-straight five-set matches, including a comeback win over Alabama State on Saturday. It ties the school record for the longest streak of five-set matches, which was set in 1988. SIU’s victory over Alabama State was its fifth of the season, which matched last season’s win total.
Anderson Hits 3,000
Saturday night saw Valpo junior setter Brittany Anderson hit another milestone in her career, as she dished out the 3,000th assist of her career late in the match against DePaul. Anderson is just the sixth player in program history to reach the mark.
Triple Doubles Galore
Southern Illinois’ Rachel Maguire tallied three-straight triple-doubles over the weekend. In doing so, she tied Meg Viggars (2015) for the longest stretch of triple-doubles in program history. Through 10 matches, the junior has five triple-doubles- one off Viggars’ school record of six triple-doubles, set in 2015. Maguire currently leads the nation in the category.
Rachel Maguire and Alayna Martin both posted triple-doubles against IUPUI Friday. It marked just the second time in SIU history, and the first time since Nov. 13, 1981, that two Salukis have notched triple-doubles in the same match.
Missouri State sophomore Chloe Rear registered her second triple double of the season against Kansas State Thursday.
The Valley has the most triple-doubles nationally (8) and is the only league to have three different players with at least one.
This week's Missouri Valley Conference Players of the Week are Illinois State's Stef Jankiewicz and Evansville's Gabriela Macedo and Melanie Feliciano..
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Stef Jankiewicz, Jr., S, Illinois State
Stef Jankiewicz turned in a team-best .375 hitting percentage this weekend, as ISU went 2-1 at the Redbird Classic and took down nationally-ranked and in-state rival Illinois. In the Redbirds’ four-set win over No. 14 Illinois, Jankiewicz posted her fourth double-double of the season with 42 assists and 14 digs, while also contributing seven kills and a .600 average against the Illini. She returned to the court on Saturday and dished out 52 more assists and collected 17 digs for another double-double in the Redbirds’ victory over UCF. On Sunday, Jankiewicz continued to set up ISU’s offense, while creating her own, finishing with 46 assists, 13 digs and matched a career high with five blocks. The Redbird Classic All-Tournament Team selection finished the weekend with 140 assists to average 10.00 per set, and 44 digs to average 3.14 digs per set – the second-best average of any Redbird.
Other Notable Performances: Hannah Thompson (BRAD); Haley Bush (DU); Melanie Feliciano (UE); Gretchen Kuckkan (INS); Taylor Venuto (LUC); Sarabi Worsley-Gilbert (MSU); Rachel Koop (UNI); Lindsey Paulsen (SIU); Jaclyn Bulmahn (VALPO)
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
Gabriela Macedo, Sr., DS, Evansville
In a perfect 4-0 week for Evansville, senior Gabriela Macedo had a record-setting performance. She accumulated a total of 90 digs over 16 sets, an average of 5.62. She notched 14 assists and seven service aces. Macedo started the week with 15 digs in a three-set win at Tennessee Tech. In Friday’s home opener against Purdue Fort Wayne, Macedo added 15 more digs, three aces and seven assists. She followed that up with 19 digs, four assists and two aces against Middle Tennessee before posting a record-setting effort against Eastern Illinois. Macedo tallied a UE record 41 digs in the victory, besting Kim Deprez’s record of 40. It marked the 6th-highest total in MVC history; she is one of just 16 players in conference history to record 41 or more digs in a match. Macedo was named to the Dunn Hospitality Tournament All-Tournament Team.
Other Notable Performances: Kylee Macke (DU); Kendal Meier (ILS); Melina Tedrow (INS); Maddy Moser (LUC); Azyah Green (MSU); Rachel Maguire (SIU); Rylee Cookerly (VALPO)
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK:
Melanie Feliciano, Fr., OH, Evansville
Melanie Feliciano posted an average of 6.69 kills, a total of 107 on the week, which saw her team go 4-0. She made 262 attempts and hit an extremely efficient .309. She also added 11 block assists (0.69 per set) and 50 digs. In the opener for the week, Feliciano posted 15 kills and five digs at Tennessee State. She opened the Dunn Hospitality Tournament with an impressive 29 kills in 59 attempts against Purdue Fort Wayne, hitting an efficient .424. She added 16 digs. Game two of the home event saw her add 27 kills against Middle Tennessee State while hitting an efficient .371. Feliciano saved her best for last against Eastern Illinois as she notched 36 kills in 95 attempts while posting 20 digs and six block assists. Her kill total set the Evansville program record, besting the previous mark by four. It was also tied for the second-most in MVC history. Her 95 attempts set the program and conference marks. Feliciano was the MVP in the Dunn Hospitality Tournament.
Other Notable Performances: Haley Bush (DU); Sarah Kushner (ILS); Gretchan Kuckkan (INS); Taylor Venuto (LUC); Azyah Green (MSU); Kaylissa Arndorfer (UNI); Alex Washington (SIU)