KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
PEORIA, ILL. ? Sycamore junior Ana Maira Charun's kill off a set from sophomore Shelbi Fouty sealed the deal as the Indiana State Sycamores picked up perhaps their best win of the season, turning back the Bradley Braves 3-2 (22-25, 18-25, 25-22, 25-19, 18-16) in front of 271 fans at the Markin Center Friday. It was the first time in five years that Indiana State has won a game in Peoria.
The win marked the first time that Indiana State has won a road game in the Missouri Valley Conference since a 3-1 win over Southern Illinois during the 2004 season (a streak of 43 straight Valley road setbacks).
The win also marked the first time that the Sycamores have swept a conference opponent in five years. (ISU swept Bradley, Drake and Southern Illinois during the 2004 season). The Sycamores swept the Braves 3-0 on the ISU Court on Oct. 10.
The win also snapped a pair of other streaks. The Sycamores had lost seven straight games since beating Bradley on Oct. 10 and had lost 18 straight road games dating back to a 3-0 win over Chicago State last year.
The win also gives Indiana State three conference victories, the most for the Sycamores since 2004, as ISU improved to 7-21 on the season and 3-11 in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Another mark could fall on Saturday when the Sycamores continue their road trip and visit league leading Northern Iowa as ISU has never won a game in Cedar Falls, Iowa, since the two schools began playing each other in 1982. First serve is set for 8 p.m. (ET). The 25th ranked UNI Panthers swept Illinois State Friday 3-0 (25-16, 25-16, 25-11) as they improved to 23-2 overall and 13-0 in the Valley.
Sycamore sophomore Kiya James moved into fifth place in the all-time single season dig list for Indiana State with a season and career high 30 digs against the Braves. James now has 456 digs this season, just one behind Cheryl Berg who had 457 digs during the 1999 season. The 30 digs was also the 10th best single game performance by a Sycamore in school history.
Sycamore senior Whitney Fromm had a double-double with a season high 55 assists and a season high 16 digs. Senior Jodilynne Stoker also had a double-double with 13 kills and 11 digs while Charun and freshman Morgan Dall had 13 kills each.
Indiana State did not get off to a very good start as they dropped the first two sets of the game. The opening set was tied five times but the Sycamores were never able to get in front. The last tie came at 14-all after ISU had rallied from down two on a kill by sophomore Stacy Qualizza and a Bradley error. The Braves came back to score three straight points and fought off a pair of Sycamore rallies down the stretch to win the opener 25-22.
The second set started off just as tight as the first set with four ties and three lead changes early on. The last tie came after ISU had taken a 5-4 lead on a service ace by Stephanie Volden. The Braves scored the next point to tie the set and then scored nine of the next 10 points to take a commanding 13-6 lead. Bradley held onto the lead and took a 2-0 lead in the game with a 25-18 victory in the third set.
The momentum began to change in the third set but it took a determined effort by the Sycamores to keep the game going. The Braves were able to build an 18-15 lead ahead of an Indiana State timeout but Bradley was unable to hold onto the advantage as play resumed.
A Qualizza kill and four Bradley errors put ISU in front 20-18 and the Sycamores would not give up the advantage the rest of the set. Bradley fought back to tie the set at 20 but a kill by freshman Auriel Armstrong followed by a block by Charun and Armstrong put ISU back up by two. Bradley came back to tie the set at 22 but two kills by Stoker and a set winning service ace by Charun gave ISU a 25-22 victory.
Bradley had hopes of closing out the game in the fourth set and took a 12-10 lead off an Indiana State error. The Sycamores fought back and took the lead for good at 15-14 on a Stoker kill. A Stoker service ace along with kills by Qualizza and Charun gave ISU a 19-14 lead and the Sycamores cruised to a 25-19 set win and even the game at two-sets each.
The decisive fifth set was a heart stopper from the first serve. The Sycamores took the early advantage on a Charun kill but Indiana State could not hold onto the lead. Bradley rallied and led twice, at 4-3 and again at 5-4, but the Sycamores were able to come back and had a 12-8 lead off a block by Dall and Armstrong.
The Sycamores extended their lead to 14-9 on a Bradley error but could not close the deal. The Braves held off set and game point five straight times to even the set at 14-all. Indiana State kept the advantage on a Stoker kill but the Braves held off ISU for the sixth time, tying the set at 15. Stoker put ISU back in front with a kill with Bradley coming back a seventh time to tie the set at 16. A Bradley error gave Indiana State their eighth chance at the win and this time they cashed in on a kill by Charun.
Both teams had 28 attack errors in the game with ISU knocking down 64 of 183 attacks (0.197 hitting percentage) and the Braves 61 of 203 attacks (0.163 hitting percentage).
