TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – After spending the last three weekends on the road, the Indiana State volleyball team returns home to face Evansville on Friday and Southern Illinois on Sunday in Missouri Valley Conference action. Both matches are slated for 7 p.m. ET starts at ISU Arena.
On Saturday, any fan who presents an ISU football game day ticket vs. Liberty will be given free admission to see the Sycamores take on the Salukis. An autograph session will also take place after Saturday's match.
Scouting Indiana State
Head Coach: Traci Dahl-Skinner
Career Record: 65-131 (7th Season)
Record at ISU: Same
2014 Record: 8-5
2014 MVC Record: 0-2
2014 Stat Leaders
Kills - 161, Bree Spangler
Hitting Percentage - .409 (128-27-247)
Digs - 185, Stephanie Bindernagel
Assists - 461, Erika Nord
Points - 174.5, Bree Spangler
Blocks - 35, Cassandra Willis
Aces - 20, Stephanie Bindernagel
Scouting the Purple Aces
Head Coach: Manolo Concepcion
2014 Record: 4-9, 0-1 MVC
Last Time Out: L, 1-3 at Southern Illinois
The Aces opened up the conference slate with travel partner Southern Illinois on Friday. Evansville took a set from the Salukis but ultimately dropped the match, 1-3. Senior outside hitter Ashley Ring leads UE and third in the MVC with 180 total kills (3.53 per set) and has turned in 143 total digs along with 31 blocks in 13 games this season. Junior libero Kim Deprez leads the back row defense with 210 digs (4.47 per set, 5th in MVC) while freshman setter Grace Carter has seen quality minutes in her rookie season for UE, dishing out 319 assists (8.96 per set). As a team, the Purple Aces hit just .185 which ranks eight in the league and averages 10.98 assists, 13.37 digs and 2.75 blocks per set.
Scouting the Salukis
Head Coach: Justin Ingram
2014 Record: 7-6, 1-0 MVC
Last Time Out: W, 3-1, vs. Evansville
Fresh off a five set win at SEMO on Sunday, SIU returns to league play led by redshirt freshman Andrea Estrada (138 kills, .202 hitting percentage) and league hitting percentage leader junior outside hitter Taylor Pippen (123 kills, .416 hitting percentage). Setters Hannah Kaminsky (271 assists) and Meg Viggars (232 assists) run the Salukis' offense while senior libero Alex Riviera headlines the back row defense with 181 digs (3.69 per set). SIU comes into weekend action sporting a four-game win streak.
News and Notes
· ISU opened up the conference portion of their schedule on the road at Missouri State and Wichita State last weekend. The Sycamores dropped a tough five set match to the Bears on Friday before falling in three to the Shockers on Saturday.
· ISU took the Bears to a fifth set for the third straight meeting. in the series history. The Shockers swept the Sycamores for the third straight match and eighth time in the last nine meetings.
· Junior middle blocker Cassandra Willis ranks 29th in the nation in hitting percentage (.409) and second in the Missouri Valley Conference after one week of league play.
· As a team, the Sycamores are ranked in the top of a variety of MVC stats after playing 13 games in the 2014 season. ISU is second in hitting percentage (.221), assists (12.02 per set), kills (12.86 per set), opponent hitting percentage (.187). The Sycamores lead service aces (1.42 per set), and fifth in digs (15.02 per set).
· Individually, Willis (.409) and senior middle blocker Kyla Thomas (.371) rank second and third, respectively, in hitting percentage. Junior setter Erika Nord is fifth in assists (10.02 per set) while freshman libero Stephanie Bindernagel leads in service aces (0.40 per set) and seventh in digs (3.70 per set). Sophomore outside hitter Bree Spangler ranks seventh (3.22 per set) in kills and eighth in total points (3.49 per set)
· Nord and Spangler have combined for 13 double-doubles this season. Nord leads the team with seven while Spangler has turned in six.
For the latest information on the Sycamore Women's Volleyball team, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
