Ace Hunt

GoSycamores.com

CHARLESTON, W.V. -- Indiana State pulled out a thrilling 3-2 victory over host Marshall by winning the fourth and fifth sets to claim the West Virginia Capital Classic Championship. 

For the second consecutive weekend, the Sycamores won their early season tournament after also winning the Marriott Invitational last week in Birmingham. Also for the second consecutive week, Rachel Griffin was named tournament Most Valuable Player. Joining Griffin on the all-tournament team was freshman Damadj Johnson and Shannon Murphy.

The Sycamores went 2-1 on the weekend with victories over Marshall and Morehead State to win the tournament. Indiana State improved to 4-2 on the season while Marshall fell to 4-3.

In the five set victory, the Sycamores won the first set by the score of 25-17. Marshall countered with a 25-23 victory in the second as well as 25-16 in the third. In the fourth set, the Sycamores won 25-19 and then picked up a victory in the decisive fifth set, 15-8 to win the match and the tournament.

Kynedi Nalls led the way for the Sycamores with 16 kills while Melody Burdette pitched in 10 kills. Griffin was credited with 43 assists while Murphy had 20 digs. There were four Sycamores to reach double digit dig totals as Bree Spangler added 11 and Griffin as well as Bindernagel had 10. Burdette led the way at the net with 3.5 total  blocks.

Indiana State recorded 49 kills with 63 digs and 12 total team blocks.

Marshall scored the first point of the first set, but Indiana State countered with five points in a row for the 5-1 lead. A kill by Spangler later in the set staked the Sycamores to a 14-9 lead. A ball handling error from the Thundering Herd put the Sycamores up 21-15. Nalls finished off the first set with a kill for the 25-17 victory.

The Thundering Herd captured the second set in a back-and-forth affair. Tied at 23, Marshall scored the final two points for the 25-23 victory. They went on to win the third set 25-16 after the Sycamores scored the first three points of the set.

Indiana State would fall behind 5-0 in the fourth set , but the Sycamores would score three in a row to draw within two points. A big 4-0 run by the Sycamores was capped by a Murphy service ace to draw with 14-13. A kill from Johnson put the Sycamores ahead 16-15 as part of a 5-0 run which edged Indiana State ahead 19-15. Melody Burdette had the final kill as the Indiana State won the set 25-19 and leveled the match at 2-2.

In the fifth set, kills by Johnson and Spangler put the Sycamores ahead 2-0. A kill by Nalls pushed the lead out to 3-1. Marshall scored five points in a row, but Indiana State scored three in a row spurred ahead by a pair of Murphy aces to tie the set at 6. The Sycamores went on a 3-0 run for a 10-7 advantage. Indiana State scored the final five points of the set as they clinched the match on an attack error by Marshall's Cassie Weaver for the 15-8 victory.

Jac'cara Walker led the way for Marshall with 17 kills.

Indiana State opens play in the North Texas Invitational on September 9-10. The Sycamores begin the tournament against UNC-Wilmington on Friday at 11:30 a.m. (ET). Indiana State plays the host North Texas later that day at 8:30 p.m. Play concludes on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. against Louisiana-Lafayette.