Illinois State Volleyball Set for Halloween Weekend Matches with Valparaiso, Southern Illinois
Written by rgdeerf@ilstu.edu on October 28, 2026
Image courtesy of Illinois State athletics
NORMAL, Ill. — With the recent loss to Belmont, Head Coach Allie Matters mentioned that Illinois State volleyball needs to continue working harder. This weeks, the Redbirds will play host to Valparaiso and Southern Illinois, who both sit at 3-7 in conference record.
On Oct 30th, Illinois State takes on Valparaiso, in which Coach Matters describes the Beacons as “scrappy” and “good at minimizing errors.” Valparaiso sits at 11-11 overall with its recent loss to Indiana State. The Redbirds are 16-7 all-time when facing the Beacons.
The last time Illinois State played Valparaiso was in September, which the Redbirds won in five sets. In that match, Ruth Ziegler and Oliwia Caputa both recorded double digit kills. Additionally, three Redbirds recorded three services aces.
Then on Halloween night, Illinois State faces Southern Illinois at 7 p.m. at CEFCU Arena. The Salukis’ last match ended in a five set loss to Murray State. The Redbirds played Southern Illinois last Friday, where Illinois State swept the match. Highlights from that match included sophomore Jillian Gregory with 13 kills and freshman outside hitter Jillian Ferrill, who recorded nine kills.
Coach Matters said that the teams preparation for the Salukis is similar to last weeks. She emphasized the importance of not getting comfortable and shutting down Southern Illinois’ primary attackers.
Coach Matters also reported Logan Grevengoed will not play in either match. Grevengoed was seen in a walking boot last weekend, with Matters confirming she sprained her ankle during practice. This news comes after Grevengoed missed time due to a concussion.
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