KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE, IND. ? The Indiana State Sycamores swept to victories in their first two games of the Best Western ISU Classic but were on the other side of the coin in the tournament finale as the Ball State Cardinals defeated the Sycamores 3-0 (25-19, 25-18, 25-20).
Indiana State drops to 3-7 on the season and will play one more non-conference game at home before beginning the Missouri Valley Conference campaign next weekend. The Sycamores will host Loyola (Chicago) at 7 p.m. (ET) Tuesday in the ISU Arena and then hit the road for the opening weekend of MVC play.
Ball State captured the championship of the tournament with a 3-0 mark. Indiana State was second at 2-1 with Eastern Illinois third at 1-3 and Chicago State fourth was fourth at 0-4.
Ball State fifth year senior Alisha Green was named the tournament MVP. She was joined on the All-tournament team by Cardinal teammates Charde Phillips and Kaylee Schembra, Jodilynne Stoker and Stephanie Volden of the Sycamores, Alex Swettler of Eastern Illinois and Hanya Minta of Chicago State.
The Sycamores played from behind in each of the three sets again Ball State. Volden tied the opening set at one-all with a kill and Stoker tied the set at two-all with her first kill of the night. Ball State scored four straight points and Indiana State was never able to get back even with the Cardinals.
The second set was tied at one-all after an Ana Maira Charun kill for Indiana State but the Cardinals regained the momentum and never let the Sycamores back into the contest. Ball State scored the first three points of the third set and eight of the first night points to take control early. Indiana State did fight back to within three points late in the third set but their rally faltered and the Cardinals held on for the win.
Stoker finished with a team high 12 kills in the game to led the Sycamores. Whitney Fromm had 30 set assists and eight digs while Shelbi Fouty had seven digs.