DES MOINES, Iowa – Junior middle blocker Cassandra Willis posted a team-high nine kills on a .471 hitting percentage but Indiana State fell in straight sets to Drake (20-25, 16-25, 19-25) on Saturday evening. ISU moved its record to 17-11 overall and 9-7 in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Willis combined with sophomore outside hitter Bree Spangler who also added nine kills to go with nine digs, but ISU hit just .139 on the night. Senior middle blocker Kyla Thomas and sophomore middle blocker Kynedi Nalls each had five slams in the game.
Freshman defensive specialist Stephanie Bindernagel turned in a stunning performance in the back row, leading the team with 20 digs which is just four shy of her career high. Junior setter Erika Nord dished out 28 assists and collected nine digs while four different players each contributed a service ace.
The Sycamores posted just three blocks on the night, including two by Thomas.
Tied up at 11-11 in the first set, ISU's two miscues forced a timeout but didn't end Drake's run as it scored the next three points. Indiana State made it a one point game after two Bulldog hitting errors and a service ace by Spangler.
However, Drake opened up the set to take a 21-17 lead but a kill by Willis cut the lead to 22-19. But a bad set by Nord and a service error by Reckards gave the Bulldogs a 25-20 victory.
Set two was more of the same for Indiana State, as it fell 16-25. The Sycamores were within three on a Spangler kill but a 6-0 run by Drake opened up the set and made it 20-10 in the Bulldogs' favor.
ISU made it 23-16 on a kill by Thomas but a pair of ISU errors sealed the set victory for the home team.
Keeping in line with the first two sets, Indiana State kept it close early on but five straight points by Drake gave it a 14-10 advantage. The Sycamores couldn't climb out of the hole, as it fell in the final set 19-25.
The Sycamores return home for the final weekend of regular season action as it host Missouri State on Friday and Wichita State on Saturday. ISU will honor senior middle blocker Kyla Thomas during Saturday's match for Senior Day.
For the latest information on the Sycamore Volleyball team, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
