TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Karinna Gall finished one kill shy of a second consecutive 20-20 game Saturday night and Melina Tedrow tied her season high of 24 digs, but visiting Southern Illinois outlasted Indiana State in four sets (25-17, 25-22, 27-29, 25-18) inside ISU Arena.
 
Gall finished with a team-leading 19 kills and 20 digs, and was the only Sycamore to reach double-digit kills. Kaitlyn Hamilton finished with nine kills and a career-high 12 digs, while Storm Suhre had eight. Taylor Shelton had six kills along with 15 digs, while Jazzlyn Ford led the Trees with 24 assists.
 
Southern Illinois jumped out to an early five-point lead in the first set, but the Sycamores had a response. Two kills each by Gall and Hamilton propelled a 6-2 Sycamore run to make is a one-point deficit at 7-6, but the Salukis countered with a 6-1 run and never looked back in the set. Suhre had a pair of late kills, but Southern Illinois closed out the opening set, 25-17.
 
The Trees jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the second set, using a pair of block assists by Ford and Suhre. Indiana State maintained its lead throughout the early stages of the set until a seven-point SIU run gave the visitors a 15-11 lead. Shelton had kills on back-to-back rallies to kickstart a 6-0 Sycamore run, putting Indiana State in front by a point at 17-16. Gall and Hamilton combined to score each of Indiana State's next four points, but a late 4-1 Saluki run gave SIU a 25-22 win in the set.
 
Indiana State and SIU exchanged scoring runs throughout the first half of the third set, as neither team led by more than a point until a four-point Saluki run put the visitors in front 15-12. The Sycamores battled back, though, as kills by Shelton and Gall helped give ISU an 18-17 lead. Gall later recorded back-to-back kills, in part due to SIU block errors,  keeping the Trees in front. SIU responded and had the Sycamores on the ropes, but Hamilton and Suhre had kills to fight off two Saluki match points in extra time. A Gall kill and a Saluki error gave Indiana State the third set, 29-27.
 
Both teams traded early scoring runs in the fourth set until SIU scored three straight points to take a 9-7 lead. After Ford and Suhre combined on another block, one of 13 for the Sycamores on the evening, Southern Illinois responded by scoring eight of the next nine points to take control of the set. Another Gall kill, followed by an Emma Kaelin service ace, cut into the deficit and made it 17-12, but another Saluki run pushed Indiana State into an eight-point hole at 21-13. Indiana State's netfront presence combined for a pair of late blocks, but it wasn't enough as SIU closed out the fourth set, 25-18.
 
Inside the Numbers

• Indiana State hit .396 in the third set, compared to a mark well under .200 in the other three sets.
• Indiana State's 13 blocks tied a season high, as the Sycamores also had 13 in the conference opener against Bradley.
• Saturday's match marked the second straight where the Sycamores had more than 90 digs. Indiana State had 96 Friday against Missouri State and finished with 93 against Southern Illinois.

 
News and Notes

• Karinna Gall's double-double was her fourth straight and fifth in the first six MVC matches this season.
• Indiana State's 29-27 win in the third set marked the longest set the Sycamores have played this season. Indiana State had gone past the 25-point mark just twice this season prior to Saturday.
• Kaitlyn Hamilton's 12 digs were a career high and marked her first career match with double-digit digs.

 
Up Next
Indiana State closes its three-match homestand Monday against Evansville, with first serve set for 6 p.m.
 
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