TERRE HAUTE, IND. - The Indiana State Sycamores could not pick up a win over visiting Creighton Friday in the ISU Arena as the Bluejays swept the Sycamores 3-0 (25-21, 25-9, 25-19) in a Missouri Valley Conference contest.
Monique Morris led the Sycamore offense with 11 kills while Morgan Dall returned to the lineup after missing the last seven games and recorded eight kills. Loni Mackinson had 24 assists with Kiya James picking up 12 digs and Samantha Kersting recording ISU's only two blocks of the contest.
Indiana State, 10-13 overall and 2-10 in the Valley, will host the Drake Bulldogs (9-17, 5-7) at 7 p.m. Saturday in the ISU Arena. Creighton improved to 14-10 overall and 9-3 in the conference. The Bluejays will play Illinois State Saturday who swept the Bulldogs 3-0 (25-14, 25-20, 25-23) on Friday.
Creighton rolled out to a 6-0 at the start of the opening set but had to hold off a late Sycamore rally to hold on for the opening set win. Indiana State rallied from a 19-10 deficit to close the deficit to three at 23-20 on a Morris kill. Creighton's Laurel Sanford recorded a kill after a Bluejay time out but Morris answered right back for ISU to keep the Sycamores within three. However, Creighton was able to score the final point of the set for a 25-21 win.
The second set was all Creighton who scored 12 of the first 13 points of the set and cruised to a 25-9 win.
The game became more interesting in the third set which was tied four times and had two lead changes. Indiana state jumped out to a 3-1 lead as Creighton came back to knot the score at three. The Sycamores kept the advantage on a Morris kill but the Bluejays came back with two straight to take their first lead at 5-4. Kersting evened the score for the final time with a kill off a Mackinson set but ISU would not be able regain the lead.
Creighton moved out to a four point advantage and was able to maintain that spread the rest of the way. Dall did bring ISU back to within three at 19-15 with a kill but the Bluejays scored the next four points to retake the momentum and post a 25-19 set win.
Heather Thorson had 11 kills for Creighton with Megan Bober recording 20 assists and Julianne Mandolfo 14 digs. Thorson, Leah McNary, Natalie Hackbarth, and Kelli Browning had two blocks each.
