TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – For the fourth straight meeting, the Indiana State volleyball team took Missouri State to a fifth set but couldn't pull through with the win as it fell 2-3 on Saturday evening in ISU Arena. Indiana State finishes the regular season with a 17-13 overall record and 9-9 mark in Missouri Valley Conference play.
The Sycamores 17-13 overall record is the best mark for the program since 1982 and the 9-9 conference finish is the best since 2003. ISU will be the No. 6 seed in the upcoming MVC Tournament to be held next week in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
Sophomore outside hitter Bree Spangler recorded her 13th double-double of the season on a team-high 18 kills and 21 digs to go along with two assists. Her 79 attempts on the evening are the fourth-most in a single game in program history.
ISU went to a fifth set for just the fourth time this season, splitting its record, 2-2, in those matches in 2014.
Three other Sycamores completed the game in double-digit kills as junior middle blocker Cassandra Willis turned in 15 kills and freshman outside hitter Sarah Peterson posted 13 kills of her own.
Senior middle blocker Kyla Thomas wrapped up her ISU career with a 13 kill performance to accompany four blocks.
In the backrow, freshman libero Danielle Waedekin notched 22 digs to go along with 18 from freshman defensive specialist Stephanie Bindernagel and 14 from sophomore Shannon Murphy.
Junior setter Erika Nord dished out 53 assists to go along with 13 digs for her 10th double-double of the season. She also recorded a career-high six blocks, all assisted, in the loss. Willis also tied her career-high and a single-game program record with a team-high seven.
Indiana State need extra points in set one for the 28-26 victory as it posted its evening best .267 hitting percentage. ISU led by as many as four in the frame, after Willis made it 17-13 on a slam.
But Missouri State hung with the Sycamores, tying it up 11 times in the opening set. ISU would eventually capitalize on two hitting errors by the Bears to win the first.
MSU took a six point lead after a ISU hitting error, but another kill by Willis cut the lead down to one 20-21. Peterson came up big with a kill down the line to make it 22-23 but kills from Olivia Brand put MSU away with a set two win, 25-23.
Coming out of the break, Missouri State (19-11, 12-6 MVC) needed extra points to get past ISU, 29-27. A tight fourth set featured no team leading by more than two as the Sycamores' attack errors handed the Bears the third set win.
It was all ISU in the fourth, as it collected six of its 13 total blocks in the frame. Peterson and Willis forced a MSU timeout, taking a 17-13 lead. A Willis kill made it a six point lead (19-13) as Indiana State put its foot on the cruise for the fourth set victory, 25-18, and forcing a fifth set.
Like the previous meeting this season, Missouri State went to work in the fifth taking a quick 7-3 lead. ISU closed the gap on a kill by Thomas but a 4-2 run closed the frame and match victory for Missouri State, who clinched the No. 4 spot in the upcoming conference tournament.
Indiana State will take part in it's the conference tournament for the first time since 2011 beginning on Thursday hosted by Northern Iowa. ISU will take on No. 3 seed Wichita State at 7:30 p.m. in the quarterfinal round.
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.
