KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
AKRON, OHIO ? The Indiana State volleyball team captured their first tournament title since the 2004 season by defeating Appalachian State 3-1 (18-25, 25-18, 25-18, 25-15) Saturday afternoon in the final game of the Second Annual Akron Invitational.
Three Sycamores were named to the All-Tournament team including sophomore outside hitter Morgan Dall who was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. She was joined on the all-tournament team by junior defensive specialist Kiya James and freshman setter Loni Mackinson.
Dall scored 59 kills (4.54 kills per set) during the tournament while hitting at a .262 pace. She also had four assists, 10 aces, 36 digs, and three blocks. Seven of those 10 service aces came in the final game against Appalachian State which is the sixth best single game performance in ISU history, tying her with Carolyn O'Brien who had seven against Evansville in 1995.
James had 61 digs (4.69 digs per set) in the tournament to go along with four assists and one ace. She now has 911 career digs which moves her into 10th place on the all-time career list at Indiana State. James moved past Jennifer Marx who had 884 from 1997-2000 and is just behind Annette Runge who had 924 from 1988 to 1991.
Mackinson was the top set-up artist for the Sycamores with 115 assists (8.85 assists per set) in the three games. She also had seven kills, one ace, 32 digs, and six blocks.
The last tournament title for ISU came at the 2004 Central Michigan Tournament when the Sycamores topped IUPUI, Central Michigan, and Wisconsin-Green Bay to claim the title.
The outcome did not look good for the Sycamores in the opening set of today's game against the Mountaineers as Appalachian State pulled away from a 13-all tie with a 12-5 run that secured a 25-18 first set victory.
The tide turned in favor of Indiana State early in the second set as the Sycamores jumped out to a 4-0 lead off of two kills by senior Ana Maira Charun and one from sophomore Shea Doran. The Mountaineers rallied to go up 8-7 but two kills by Dall and an ASU error put ISU up for good at 10-8. Indiana State maintained the lead and closed out the set behind two aces and a kill from Dall who also had an assist on a kill by junior Stacy Qualizza that gave ISU a 25-18 set win.
Both sides had rallies early in the third set but the Sycamores were able to move out in front for good at 8-7 on a kill by sophomore Christie Fullenkamp off a Mackinson set. Indiana State started to pull away but stumbled midway through the set as the Mountaineers rallied with four straight points to cut the deficit to one at 13-12. The Sycamores regained the momentum and outscored ASU 12-6 the rest of the way to take the set 25-18.
There was never a question of who was going to win the fourth set as the Sycamores roared out to a commanding 19-4 lead. The Mountaineers did stage a seven point rally late in the set but Indiana State fought off the charge and reclaimed control of the set. Two kills from Fullenkamp along with one each from Dall and Qualizza sealed the deal for the Sycamores as ISU won the set 25-15 and took the game 3 sets to one.
Dall recorded her seventh double-double of the season in 11 games as she led the team with 21 kills and added 10 digs. She also had seven aces, an assist, and one block. Fullenkamp had a career high 11 kills. Mackinson had 38 assists, eight digs and a team high five blocks in the game. James had 12 digs while junior Shelbi Fouty also had 10 digs.
The Sycamores had 48 kills in the game while hitting at .209 and held the Mountaineers to 44 kills and a .131 hitting percentage.
Indiana State improves to 7-4 on the season which is the third best start in school history and ties the 2010 squad with the 1995 and 1986 teams that also went 7-4 after the first 11 games. Only the 1989 team that was 8-3 and the 1982 team that went 10-1 had better records after the first 11 contests.
Appalachian State fell to 8-2 with the loss.
The Sycamores will be on the road to Chicago Tuesday night where they will go up against the Loyola Ramblers in an 8 p.m. (ET) game. Indiana State returns home to host Chicago State Thursday night (7 p.m.) and then opens the Missouri Valley Conference season Friday night by hosting Illinois State (7 p.m.).
