TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State hits the road for a pair of matches over the weekend, as the Sycamores square off with Illinois State and Bradley.
Indiana State will face Illinois State Friday at 7 p.m., with first serve between Indiana State and Bradley set for Saturday at 6 p.m.
Last Time Out
Indiana State went 1-2 during its recent three-match homestand, taking down Missouri State in five sets while falling to both Southern Illinois and Evansville in four sets.
Karinna Gall led the Sycamores with double-doubles double-doubles in each of the first two matches of the homestand, including a 23-kill, 21-dig performance against Missouri State.
Melina Tedrow had 20-plus digs in all three matches during the homestand.
On The Road Again
Indiana State has become familiar with being on the road, as the Sycamores' five home matches to date are tied for the second-fewest in the MVC. Only Drake (two) has played fewer home matches among Valley teams.
This upcoming road trip features one wrinkle that the Sycamores have not dealt with this season, though. Indiana State has already seen both Illinois State and Bradley this season, having played both the Redbirds and Braves during the opening weekend of Valley play. The Sycamores defeated Bradley in four sets in its home opener, while the Redbirds defeated ISU in three sets in September.
Turning Up The Heat
Indiana State outside hitter
Karinna Gall has stepped up her play to a new level since the start of Missouri Valley Conference play. Gall has five double-doubles in the first seven conference matches this season, setting her career high in kills and digs in the process with a 23-kill, 21- dig performance against Missouri State.
The match against the Bears marked the first time an Indiana State player recorded a 20-kill, 20-dig match since 2017, and she nearly repeated it the next night with 19 kills and 20 digs against Southern Illinois.
Since the calendar turned to conference play, Gall has been among the best in the MVC, ranking sixth in the conference in kills (95, 3.52 per set), 13th in digs (90, 3.33 per set) and 30th in blocks (16, 0.59 per set) while leading Indiana State in kills in four of those seven matches.
Going The Distance
Indiana State has played just two five-set matches this season, but the Sycamores have shown up when matches go the distance. ISU is 2-0 in five-set matches this season and 6-2 in their last eight five-set matches dating back to the start of the 2021 season.
The Trees defeated Campbell in five sets in September for their first win of the season, and their most recent win was a five-setter against Missouri State.
Indiana State's common theme in both matches was capitalizing on opposition miscues. Campbell hit below .160 in the fourth in fifth set against the Trees, while Missouri State's worst set against Indiana State from an attacking standpoint was the fifth set.
Block Party
Indiana State has made its presence felt at the net during since the calendar turned to Missouri Valley Conference play. The Sycamores sit atop the rankings in the conference when it comes to blocks in Valley play with 73 blocks and 2.70 blocks per set.
Jamie Brown has been a problem at the net for opposing teams in the Valley this season, as she has 35 blocks in seven MVC matches. Brown leads the Sycamores with 1.30 blocks per set during conference play, a mark that ranks second in the Valley. She is one of just eight players in the conference to average at least one block per set in MVC play.
Brown isn't the only Sycamore middle blocker to shut things down at the net, as
Storm Suhre also ranks in the top 10 in blocks during Valley play. Suhre has 29 blocks in 27 sets against conference foes, with her 1.07 blocks per set tied for seventh in the MVC.
Up Next
Indiana State returns home to face Northern Iowa (Oct. 21) and Drake (Oct. 22), with first serve set for 6 p.m. in both matches.
