KEVIN JENISON

GoSycamores.com

TERRE HAUTE, IND. – Indiana State Sycamores stopped a 13-game skid with a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over the visiting Evansville Purple Aces in a Missouri Valley Conference game Friday night in the ISU Arena.

Indiana State dropped the first two sets but fought back to win the third and fourth sets and set the game into a deciding fifth set. The Sycamores were not to be denied and never trailed in that final set as they earned a 15-10 victory to take the game three sets to two.

Junior Molly Murphy led the hit parade for the Sycamores with 24 kills while senior Christie Fullenkamp had 21 kills and Willis added 11.

Junior setter Loni Mackinson recorded 70 assists on the night which ties her for fourth best in school history. Kerri Byrum had 70 assists against Illinois in 2003. Megan Mirs has the school record with 80 assists in 2000 against Drake.

Both Fullenkamp and Murphy finished with a double-double as both recorded 16 digs on the night. Freshman Ashlen Buck had 20 and freshman Erika Nord 13.

Indiana State never had the lead in the opening set despite six kills by senior Christie Fullenkamp as Evansville held off several Sycamore rallies to take a 25-21 win.  Indiana State did have the early advantage in the second set and was up 9-5 before the Aces went on an 8-0 run to take a 13-9 lead. The Sycamores kept it close and rallied to tie the set at 23 but Evansville scored the final two points to earn a 25-23 win.

The Sycamores again had the early advantage in the third set but Evansville rallied to lead by two midway through the third set at 15-13. Indiana State came back to regain the advantage and pulled away to win on a Cassandra Willis kill 25-21. The Indiana State rally continued in the fourth set as the Sycamores led from start to finish, closing out a 25-18 win to even the game at two-sets each on Willis' 12th kill of the night.

Indiana State improved to 4-23 overall an 2-15 in the MVC with the victory. The Sycamores will close out the regular season Saturday night by hosting Southern Illinois in a 7 p.m. (ET) start. Evansville fell to 9-21 overall and 4-13 in the conference.