Ace Hunt

GoSycamores.com

CHARLESTON, W.V. -- Indiana State pushed Big 12 foe West Virginia to the brink, but the Mountaineers were able to escape with a narrow 3-2 victory over the Sycamores in the opener of the 2016 West Virginia Capital Classic. 

The Sycamores won the first two sets by scores of 25-20 and 25-22 before falling 25-18 and 25-22 in sets three and four. West Virginia came from behind to win the fifth set, 15-13 and took the match. ISU fell to 2-2 on the season while WVU improved to 2-2.

Leading the way for Indiana State was Bree Spangler and Kynedi Nalls who each had 13 kills. Melody Burdette continued her strong start to the season with 12 kills while freshman Damadj Johnson tallied 10 kills with a .368 attack percentage. Rachel Griffin was credited with 49 assists while Shannon Murphy led the way with 19 digs. Both Griffin and Cassie Kawa posted four block assists.

The Sycamores came out roaring with a .324 attack percentage in the first set as they posted 16 kills against only four errors. The Mountaineers scored first, but the Sycamores responded with two points in a row including a service ace by Stephanie Bindernagel. With the set tied at 10, the Sycamores scored three in a row including an ace by Kawa which pushed ISU ahead 13-10. A kill by Kawa later in the set staked the Sycamores to a 19-15 advantage and forced a WVU timeout. Johnson killed a ball for the 24-18 lead and Spangler finished off the set with a kill for the 25-20 win.

West Virginia scored the first three points of the second set and led by as many as five points at 16-11. The Sycamores scored three in a row to trim their lead down to 16-14 and then had a big 8-0 run which transformed a 19-15 deficit into a 23-19 lead. Burdette capped the run on the serve of Kawa with a kill. Johnson got the Sycamores to set point with a kill and then Nalls finished it off for the 25-22 victory.

The Sycamores and Mountaineers were in tight battle for most of the third set as it was tied as late as 16-16. WVU scored four points in a row before a Griffin kill got the Sycamores within 20-17. Morgan Montgomery posted a service ace for the 25-18 WVU victory in the third set. Indiana State led 12-7 in the fourth set on a kill from Nalls, but West Virginia came back to tie it up at 17. After WVU took a two point lead, the Sycamores tied it back up twice more as it was knotted at 21 on a kill by Nalls. WVU took a 23-21 lead before Kawa got the Sycamores within a point on a kill. WVU scored the final two points of the set for the 25-22 victory and the match was tied at two sets each.

A Griffin service ace began the fifth set and the Sycamores led 2-0 after a WVU error. Bree Spangler had a service ace later in the set as the Sycamores took a 10-8 advantage and then a Kawa kill stretch the lead even further at 11-8. They would come back to tie the set at 12 but ISU took a brief lead at 13-12 on a kill from Johnson. WVU then stormed back with three points in a row to take the set 15-13 and the match in five sets.

Payton Caffrey led the way for West Virginia with 27 kills.

Indiana State continues play in the Capital Classic on Friday afternoon at 5 p.m. (ET) against Morehead State and then on Saturday at 1 p.m. versus host Marshall.