Indiana State has just one Missouri Valley Conference game this week as they host the Illinois State Redbirds (17-10, 9-6 MVC) on Saturday with first serve set for 7 p.m. (ET).

The Sycamores posted their first sweep of Valley road games in nine years last week which kept alive their hopes of earning a berth in the MVC post-season tournament for the first time since the 2004 season.

First up will be IUPUI on Tuesday. The Jaguars have won three of their last four including a 3-1 (27-29, 25-13, 25-22, 25-10) win over Western Illinois at home Saturday night. The durability of the Sycamores will be tested as they play their third game in five days as will their focus with Illinois State coming to town Saturday.

Illinois State is solidly in the MVC post-season with the fifth seed and four games up on the Sycamores with three to play. Indiana State and the Drake Bulldogs are currently tied for sixth whcih is the final berth in the Valley tournament. Drake also has three games remaining including two road games this weekend as they play at Bradley on Friday and at Northern Iowa on Saturday. The Bulldogs wrap up the regular season by hosting Creighton on Nov. 19.

Indiana State closes out their regular season by hosting Missouri State on Nov. 18 and Wichita State on Nov. 19. The Wichita State contest will also be "Senior Night" as ISU's Stacy Qualizza, Kiya James and Shelbi Fouty play their final regular season game for the Sycamores.

Remarkable Weekend

It was a remarkable weekend for the Sycamores who won back-to-back conference road games for the first time since the 2003 season when Indiana State defeated Drake and Creighton on the road in their final two road games of the Valley campaign. The two Valley road wins are also the most in a single season for the Sycamores since 2004. Indiana State went five seasons without a Valley road win until ISU won at Bradley in 2009. Indiana State was winless in Valley road games last season.

The Sycamores won in Evansville for the first time since 2003 and also swept the season series with the Purple Aces for the first time since 2003. The Sycamores won in Carbondale for the first time since 2004.

Senior Stacy Qualizza was a big reason for the Sycamores picking up the road victories as she recorded the second highest single game hitting percentage in school history after hitting .742 at Evansville on Friday with a season high 23 kills on 31 attempts with no errors. Julie Meshberger holds the school record with a .786 hitting percentage against Tennessee-Martin on Sept. 1, 1995.

Qualizza In The Record Book

Senior middle blocker Stacy Qualizza has 891 career kills and should move into the top 10 of All-Time Kills this week. Megan Lynch currently holds the 10th spot with 893 kills from 1997-2000 while Mary Kay Bahnaman is ninth with 901 kills from 1985-1989. The senior is currently third all-time in career hitting percentage (.293) and 11th in total blocks (208). She needs 32 blocks in the remaining three games to equal Carolyn O'Brien who is currently 10th with 240 career total blocks.

Sycamores Post Most Wins Since 2003

Indiana State's 2011 volleyball team recorded their 12th and 13th wins of the season this past weekend which is the most victories for a Sycamore team since the 2003 season. ISU won 11 games in 2010 and 12 in 2004 with the current squad now focused on surpassing the 2003 total of 14 wins in a season. The Sycamores currently have five Valley wins which is the most for an ISU team since the 2004 campaign when Indiana State won eight Valley contests.

First Time Around -

The Sycamores staged a fierce battle with the home standing Illinois State Redbirds on Oct. 13 but came out on the short end of a 3-1 score (25-16, 21-25, 23-25, 23-25) as they closed out the first half of the Missouri Valley Conference season. The loss came despite the efforts of senior Stacy Qualizza and freshman Samantha Kersting. Qualizza paced the Sycamore attack with 16 kills in 28 attempts with just one error for a .536 hitting percentage while Kersting had a career high 11 kills in 18 attempts with just one error for a .556 hitting percentage. Sophomore Monique Morris recorded her sixth double-double of the season had 10 kills and 17 digs while senior Shelbi Fouty posted her seventh double-double with 35 assists and 13 digs. Senior Kiya James led the defense with 22 digs while Qualizza also had three blocks on the night.

Last Time Out -

The Indiana State volleyball team kept their post-season hopes alive backed by a season high 23 kills by senior Stacy Qualizza as they swept the Evansville Purple Aces 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-17) in a Missouri Valley Conference game Friday. Qualizza recorded the second highest single game hitting percentage in school history as she led the Sycamores to the win, knocking down 23 kills with no errors on 31 attempts for a career high .742 hitting percentage. Although Qualizza was the key she had support from sophomore Molly Murphy with eight kills, freshman Samantha Kersting with five, and senior Shelbi Fouty, sophomore Monique Morris, and junior Shea Doran with three each. Fouty had 34 assists in the contest while senior Kiya James led the defense with 15 digs. Qualizza also had five blocks with Kersting and Murphy each recording four, and Morris three.

The Indiana State volleyball team recorded their first back-to-back road victories in the Missouri Valley Conference since 2003 as they completed a successful weekend with a 3-1 (25-20, 25-23, 21-25, 25-13) win at Southern Illinois on Saturday. Sophomores Molly Murphy and Monique Morris paced the Sycamore attack with 13 kills each while senior Stacy Qualizza had 11. Freshman Samantha Kersting contributed six, senior Shelbi Fouty five, and junior Shea Doran four. Fouty also had 40 assists in the game, senior Kiya James 27 digs, and Doran a game high five blocks.

SCOUTING INDIANA STATE

The Sycamores (13-13, 5-10) have a three-game winning streak for the second time this season after defeating Evansville 3-0 (25-20, 25-22, 25-17) on Friday and Southern Illinois 3-1 (25-20, 25-23, 21-25, 25-13) on Saturday. It is the first time since 2003 that ISU has posted three straight Valley victories and the first time since 2003 that ISU won back-to-back road Valley games.

Indiana State posted the two road wins without their top hitting in junior outside hitter Morgan Dall who averages 4.47 kills per set (kps) and 3.76 kps in the Valley. Dall remains a game-time decision for head coach Traci Dahl. Senior middle blocker Stacy Qualizza is averaging 2.70 kps  (2.78 kps in the Valley) while sophomore outside hitter Monique Morris is averaging 2.69 kps (2.96 kps in the Valley), sophomore Molly Murphy 1.51 kps (2.35 kps in the Valley), and junior outside hitter Shea Doran 1.70 kps (1.59 kps in the Valley).

The Sycamore attack begins with a pair of setters including senior Shelbi Fouty at 7.77 assists per set (aps) for the season and 7.11 aps in the Valley while sophomore Loni Mackinson averages 3.35 aps overall and 3.83 aps in the Valley.

Senior libero Kiya James keys the defense with 4.66 digs per set (dps) overall and 4.41 dps in the Valley. Morris is second at 3.07 dps (3.33 dps in the Valley) with Fouty at 3.05 dps (3.39 dps in the Valley) and Mackinson 2.46 dps (3.02 dps in the Valley).

Qualizza has 60 blocks this season (0.66 per set) and 4 37in Valley play (0.69 per set) while freshman Samantha Kersting has 42 blocks this season (0.61 per set) and 33 in Valley play (0.61 per set).

SCOUTING IUPUI

The Jaguars (14-14 overall, 8-8 Summit League) have won their last two games and three of their last four including a 3-1 (27-29, 25-13, 25-22, 25-10) win over Western Illinois Saturday in Indianapolis. IUPUI is 6-6 in non-conference games and 1-1 in non-conference road games this season.

Sophomore outside hitter Moriah Fair leads the Jaguar offense with 3.03 kps while junior right side Kelsey Hoefer is averaging 2.71 kps and senior right side Kalyse Reimbold 2.62 kps. Sophomore setter Alexis Meeks sets up the offense and is averaging 9.91 assists per set while senior libero Shari Bernhardt is averaging 5.68 digs per set. Junior middle hitter Bethany Fogler has 123 blocks on the season (1.15 per set.

SERIES AGAINST IUPUI - This is the 19th meeting between Indiana State and IUPUI in a series which dates back to 1977. Indiana State holds a 16-2 edge in the series including a 6-1 record in games played in the ISU Arena. The Sycamores defeated the Jaguars 3-1 in the ISU area last year which broke two-game skid to the Jaguars.

SCOUTING ILLINOIS STATE

The Redbirds (17-10, 9-6 MVC) have won two straight, three of their last four and eight of their last 10 including a sweep on the road this past weekend with a 3-1 (25-22, 28-26, 23-25, 25-20) win at Southern Illinois and a 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-21) victory at Evansville.

Sophomore outside hitter Shannon McGlaughlin paced the Redbird offense with 3.49 kills per set while sophomore middle hitter LeighAnn Hranke averages 3.18 kps. Senior setter Kristin Stauter is averaging 9.53 assists per set with junior defensive specialist Jenny Mendendez averages 4.57 digs per set. Freshman middle hitter Emily Schneider has 92 blocks this season (0.92 per set).

Hranka had 14 kills and McGlaughlin 13 in the first meeting between the two schools with Stauter recording 45 assists, Menendez 19 digs, and senior middle hitter Tabitha Visk had a solo block and six block assists with Stauter also recording seven block assists.

SERIES AGAINST ILLINOIS STATE - This is the 53rd meeting between Indiana State and Illinois State in a series which dates back to 1977. The Redbirds hold a 47-6 edge in the series including a 3-1 win over ISU earlier this season in Normal, Ill. The Sycamores are 5-19 against Illinois State in games played in the ISU Arena but have not defeated the Redbirds since a 3-1 win on the home court during the 2008 season.

FOLLOWING THE SYCAMORES:

Visit www.gosycamores.com for links to live stats for both games this weekend. Click on the Live Statistics link under the Broadcasts & Media tab on the left side of the homepage for the exact link, go to the volleyball schedule page for the link, or copy and paste the link below.