The Basics
Score - Eastern Illinois 3 - Indiana State 2
Records - EIU (6-6) - ISU (2-10)
Location - ISU Arena (Terre Haute, Ind.)
 
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Sycamore volleyball dropped a heartbreaker to regional foe Eastern Illinois, 3-2 (22-25, 25-21, 21-25, 25-16, 25-9) in the final match of the Sycamore Invitational Saturday night inside the ISU Arena.
 
Junior Laura Gross earned Sycamore Invitational Tournament MVP while fellow Sycamores Rachel Griffin and Cassie Kawa were named to the all-tournament team. Gross finished the weekend with 39 kills and 28 kills in two matches while recording a pair of double-doubles on the way.
 
Indiana State (2-10) jumped out to an early lead after taking the opening set 25-22 behind four kills each from Laura Gross and Cassie Kawa. The Panthers (6-6) would bounce back to even the match heading into the break after battling in a close second set which EIU took advantage of three receiving errors and four attacking errors by the Trees to take the set 25-21.
 
ISU came out of the break to on clicking on all cylinders, jumping out to a 4-0 lead before the Panthers would eventually tie it at 10 apiece before ISU reeled off three-straight points and would never look back.  
 
Eastern would come out on fire in the fourth set, recording a match-high .475 hitting percentage on 22 kills. The Panthers' Maria Brown recorded seven of the teams' kills in the set as EIU cruised to the 25-16 set win.
 
The Panthers would continue to ride that momentum en route to a 15-9 fifth-set win, holding the Sycamores to just four kills and a .000 hitting percentage in the set.  
 
Inside the Box Score

• Eastern Illinois outhit the Sycamores, .216 to .169 in five sets.
• Laura Gross led the way with 18 kills to go along with 12 digs for her eighth double-double of the season.
• Rachel Griffin assisted 43 of the teams 52 kills.
• Cassie Kawa recorded 10 kills on just 18 swings for a .444 attacking percentage.
• Indiana State fell to 1-4 in five-set matches this season.
• Allie Hueston led the charge for the Panthers with 16 kills.

All-Tournament Team
MVP: Laura Gross, ISU
Rachel Griffin, ISU
Cassie Kawa, ISU
Maggie Runge, EIU
Allie Hueston, EIU
Taylor Smith, EIU
Savahna Costello, CSF
  
Next Up
The Sycamores will open Missouri Valley Conference play Friday when Evansville visits the ISU Arena. First serve is set for 7 p.m.   
 
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.