EVANSVILLE ? The Indiana State University volleyball team ran into a red hot University of Evansville squad Friday night, losing the Missouri Valley Conference opener for both teams 3-1. Evansville has now won six straight matches while Indiana State dropped its second straight.
The Sycamores fall to 3-6 on the season and 0-1 in the Valley with the setback. Indiana State will stay on the road Saturday night when they visit Carbondale, Ill., to take on the Southern Illinois University Salukis. Evansville, 8-4 overall and 1-0 in the MVC, will host Illinois State Saturday. Illinois State won at Southern Illinois Friday 3-1.
Junior Alisha Polite, sophomore Kristen Kerscher and sophomore Jodilynne Stoker paced the Sycamores as each posted a double-double. Polite had 10 kills and 14 digs to go along with a team high 40 assists. Kerscher had 11 kills and 10 digs while Stoker had 10 kills and 20 digs. Sophomore Kelli Whitaker also had 10 kills and seven digs.
Evansville held off a late Indiana State rally in the first game to post a 30-27 victory with the Sycamores turning the tide in the second, holding off the Purple Aces to even the match at one-game each with a 30-26 victory. Evansville came back in the third game and held off for a 30-24 win. The Purple Aces picked up the match win with a 30-22 triumph in the fourth game.
Indiana State was held to just .019 hitting percentage in the third and fourth games, finishing the match with a .105 hitting percentage.
