TERRE HAUTE, Ind. — Indiana State volleyball will hit the road for a pair of matches against Valparaiso and Loyola this weekend. Indiana State and Valpo are set for an 8 p.m. ET first serve Friday while ISU and Loyola will get underway at 8 p.m. ET Saturday in Chicago.
It will mark the first time that the Sycamores and Crusaders will meet as members of the Missouri Valley Conference.
OPENING SERVE
The Sycamores will look to snap a three-match losing skid following weekend losses to No. 21 UNI, Drake and Illinois State.
Junior
Laura Gross leads the Sycamore attack with 234 digs this season. She leads the team with nearly one more kill per set with 3.34. In total, Gross has 12 double-doubles on the season, including one over the weekend against the Redbirds in a 10 kill - 16 dig performance. The Potomac, Illinois product has recorded nine matches with 15+ more kills and ranks second on the team in total digs with 265. Gross ranks 3rd in The Valley and 34th in the country with 11.53 attacks per set.
Cassie Kawa has proved to be one of the most consistent Sycamores on the court, ranking third in The Valley with a .349 attacking percent in 69 sets. She ranks second on the team with 188.5 total points and 2.48 kills per set.
Sophomore
Damadj Johnson has dominated the net for the Sycamores this season with the third-best total in the MVC with 1.07 blocks per set. Johnson recorded a season best 12 blocks against Central Michigan (9/8) and has had 15 matches with multiple blocks the last four matches.
Alongside Johnson is freshman
Nikkie White who is second on the squad with 0.72 blocks per set. White has recorded a block in nine-straight matches with a career high 10 blocks against Cal State-Fullerton (9/15).
Libero
Stephanie Bindernagel leads the team on the defensive side of the ball with a team-high 332 digs in 73 sets. Bindernagel averages 4.55 digs per set to lead the team and has had 10 or more digs in all but one match this season with a season-best 38-dig performance coming against IUPUI.
Senior setter
Rachel Griffin made history in Carbondale (9/30) when she recorded her 2,000th career assist against the Salukis. Griffin is just the 11th player to reach the mark in program history and the first to do so since Erika Nord reached the milestone in 2015.
ISU earned its 19th straight AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2016 season. The streak is the longest among all schools and ties Drury University (Division II) for the longest streak in the nation.
THE OPPOSITION
Friday night will mark the first time that Indiana State and Valparaiso have met in a Missouri Valley Conference action. Indiana State leads the all-time series with the Crusaders 13-9, including a 5-3 record on the road. Though ISU leads the series, it has been Valpo that has seized momentum as of late, taking five of the last six meetings.
Loyola holds a 10-6 series lead over the Sycamores, but ISU has won five of the last seven meetings between the two programs. Indiana State was three-straight matches beginning in 2013 before sweeping the Ramblers in 2014. ISU trails the series when played in Chicago, 2-5.
For the latest information on the Sycamore Volleyball team, make sure to check out
GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including
Facebook, Twitter and
Instagram.
