KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. ? The Sycamore volleyball team dominated overcame a loss to Ball State earlier in the day and swept The Citadel 3-0 (25-14, 25-18, 26-24) in their final game of the SIUE Cougar Classic Saturday night. Indiana State (2-1) will have another road game on Tuesday when they visit IUPUI for a 7 p.m. (ET) game.
Sophomore Auriel Armstrong had 11 kills in 18 attempts and a .444 attack percentage, all career highs, to lead the Sycamores to the victory. Sophomore Morgan Dall contributed nine kills and senior Ana Maira Charun had seven kills. Freshman Loni Mackinson had 19 assists while junior Shelbi Fouty had 12 assists and 14 digs. Armstrong and Mackinson had four blocks each.
Indiana State trailed 4-2 early in the opening set but then the Sycamores ran off eight straight points on three Charun kills, three from Armstrong, one by Dall along with a block by Armstrong and Mackinson to go up 10-4. The Sycamores were never threatened after that and cruised to a 25-14 opening set victory.
The Sycamores trailed just once in the second set but could not pull away from The Citadel until a 6-0 ISU run that included an ace by junior Kiya James, another Mackinson block, and a kill by Dall. Indiana State was able to keep a six to seven point lead the rest of the way and took the second set 25-18.
Indiana state broke away from a 10-all tie in the third set with an 8-0 run that featured two kills by Armstrong, one by Dall, one from sophomore Shea Doran, a block by Doran and Armstrong, and a Mackinson service ace. However, the Sycamores lost the momentum after that as The Citadel rallied and took a 24-23 lead ahead of an Indiana State time out.
The Sycamores came out of the break and quickly evened the set at 24 on a Dall kill of a Mackinson set. Mackinson then recorded two straight service aces to seal the 26-24 Indiana State win.
Indiana State recorded 10 aces in the contest with Mackinson and James scoring three each, Fouty two, and Charun and Armstrong had one each. Indiana State outhit The Citadel .253 to .167.
