MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Indiana State volleyball earned their first sweep of the 2021 season on Friday evening, defeating Alcorn State in straight sets (25-16, 35-33, 25-9) in the first match of the Music City Invitational.
 
It was a big night for the Indiana State freshmen in Alumni Memorial Gym. The Sycamores (2-2, 0-0 MVC) got another big night from setter Emma Kaelin who tallied 33 assists along with 10 digs while also putting down five kills. Freshman Storm Suhre recorded 10 kills on while hitting .526 as well to help the ISU effort.
 
Leading the offensive charge for the Blue & White was Kaitlyn Hamilton who recorded 13 kills. As a team, the Sycamores held a 49-34 kill advantage over the Braves (0-4, 0-0 SWAC), hitting .336 for the match.
 
Defensively, Indiana State put together a well-rounded match, led by Melina Tedrow with 18 digs. Taylor Shelton contributed 10 digs over her own while Karinna Gall added eight to help the Trees to a 60-54 edge in the digs category.
 
The Sycamores and Alcorn State were evenly matched at the net with both squads recording three total blocks. Senior Madeline Williams got up for two block assists and one solo block to lead Indiana State while Kaitlyn Hamilton and Mallory Keller each added a block assist.
 
It was a gradual warmup for the Sycamore offense throughout the match, opening with a .268 hitting percentage in the opening set to go along with 15 kills. ISU's defense did hold the Braves to just seven kills, however, to roll to a 25-16 opening set victory.
 
The Braves would push the Trees in the second frame. It was a back-and-forth affair for most of the set with both offenses flying high. Alcorn State tallied 22 kills to Indiana State's 20, but ultimately the Blue & White managed to outlast the opposition, 35-33.
 
Set three was all Indiana State from the beginning, as the Sycamores opened the frame on a 7-1 run. Utilizing 14 kills while hitting .462 and holding the Braves to five kills, ISU ended the match on a 14-4 run to secure a 25-9 set victory and the match.
 
Indiana State is back in action tomorrow evening at 7 p.m. ET when they face host school, Belmont, in Nashville, Tenn.
 
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.