TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State hits the road for the first time during Missouri Valley Conference play when it heads south to take on MVC newcomers Murray State and Belmont.
The Sycamores will face Murray State Friday at 7 p.m. while squaring off with Belmont Saturday at 6 p.m.
Last Time Out
Indiana State split its first two matches of Missouri Conference play at home, defeating Bradley in four sets in the conference opener before falling to Illinois State in three sets.
Kaitlyn Hamilton had a team-leading 23 kills across the two matches (15 vs. Bradley, eight vs. Illinois State), while
Karinna Gall and
Storm Suhre both notched double-digit kills against Bradley.
Mallory Keller had a team-high 10 kills against Illinois State.
Road Trippin'
Playing on the road has become a familiar thing for Indiana State, as the Sycamores have played just two home matches this season.
Indiana State opened its 2022 campaign with eight straight matches away from home, a mark that included three road matches and five neutral-site matches. The Sycamores' first home matches of the season came on the opening weekend of Missouri Valley Conference play against Bradley and Illinois State.
Indiana State's match at Murray State Friday night will also be the first-ever match at Racer Arena for the Sycamores. The two programs have met just twice in previous seasons, a 2015 match in Terre Haute and a 2013 neutral-site match in Dayton, Ohio.
Indiana State's trip to Belmont marks the second straight season with a match at Curb Event Center, as the Sycamores defeated the Bruins in four sets last season.
Starting Off Strong
Indiana State has a common theme in both of its wins this season. The Sycamores took the first set in their matches against both Campbell and Bradley, out-hitting the opposition in both of those instances.
The Sycamores hit .314 as a team in the first set against Campbell, limiting the defending Big South Conference champions to a .186 hitting percentage with eight attack errors in the opening frame. Indiana State took advantage of Campbell's miscues while limiting its own mistakes at the same time, as the Trees had just three attack errors in the set.
Indiana State's first set against Bradley was one of the most efficient performances the Trees have had this season. ISU hit .333 in the set with 12 kills on 27 attempts, while holding Bradley to a negative hitting percentage en route to a 25-12 win in the set.
Record Setter
After opting to return to the program for a fifth season, Indiana State libero
Melina Tedrow made program history on the opening weekend of Missouri Valley Conference play.
Tedrow broke Indiana State's school record for career digs in the second set of the Sycamores' match against Illinois State, surpassing Kristy Cox (1,841 career digs) for the top spot in program history.
Tedrow leads the Trees with 129 digs this season, while her 3.69 digs per set rank seventh in the Valley this season. Tedrow ranks seventh among active Division I players in digs and is the MVC's active leader in digs with 1,844.
Milestone Moments
Melina Tedrow is not the only Sycamore to surpass career benchmarks this season. A pair of Sycamores also hit milestones on the attacking side during the month of September.
Mallory Keller reached 500 kills for her collegiate career in her home state, as the junior outside hitter accomplished the feat in the Sycamores' match at Western Michigan.
Kaitlyn Hamilton was the most recent Sycamore to reach 500 kills, doing so on the first point of Indiana State's last match against Illinois State.
Up Next
Indiana State returns to the friendly confines of ISU Arena for a three-match homestand in a four-day span.
The Sycamores will face Missouri State (Oct. 7, 6 p.m.) and Southern Illinois (Oct. 8, 6 p.m.) on back-to-back nights before facing Evansville Oct. 10 at 6 p.m.
