KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE, IND. ? The Indiana State volleyball team will compete in their second tournament of the spring season this Saturday as they travel to Indianapolis to participate in the Team Indiana/IUPUI Tournament.
“This will be another good test to see how we are progressing,” Traci Dahl, Indiana State volleyball coach, said. “There are some quality teams in this competition and we will be tested.”
The Sycamores will open the tournament by taking on Wright State at 9:30 a.m. Indiana State will play St. Joseph's College at 10:30 a.m. followed by Belmont at 1 p.m. and wrapping up the tournament against IPFW at 2 p.m.
Indiana State played Wright State last season, dropping a 3-2 decision.
“I do remember that match,” Dahl said. “It was another one of those matches where we got down 2-0, fought back to win the next two sets and then lost in the fifth set.”
Belmont University won the Atlantic Sun championship with a 3-0 victory over Lipscomb, a team that the Sycamores defeated 3-2 in their second match of the season. The Bruins reached the NCAA Division I tournament last year and lost to Hawaii 3-0 in the first round.
The IPFW Mastodons finished the 2008 campaign with a 16-14 mark overall and 11-5 in the Summit League. The St. Joseph's College Pumas, a Division II school, finished with a 14-17 record last year.
Each team plays four matches Saturday with teams divided into two pools. The Sycamores will be playing in Pool B along with Bradley, IPFW, Belmont, St. Joseph's, University of Southern Indiana and Wright State. Competing in Pool A will be Bellarmine, IUPUI, Illinois State, University of Indianapolis, Wheeling, Ohio University, and Ferris State.
The tournament marks the midpoint of the spring season. The Sycamores will be competing at Indiana University on April 11 and round out the spring season at the Dunes Spring Tournament in Valparaiso, Ind., on April. 18.
Last weekend, Indiana State competed in the Great Lakes Center/Sports Performance Tournament, posting a 1-3 record. Texas Orange, who defeated ISU 25-17, 25-19 in the opening round, won the tournament. The Sycamores defeated Valparaiso 25-21, 25-22 but then lost their last two matches to Western Michigan 25-21, 25-19, and to Marquette 25-20, 25-23.
Directions to Team Indiana: Take I70 east until you reach the Shadeland Avenue exit. Turn north (left) onto Shadeland Avenue. Look for O'Brien Toyota and Mid America Labs on the left hand side of the road. Turn on the street in between Toyota and Mid America, there is a sign for Superior Distribution. Follow that road straight back, and you will run into Team Indiana.
