TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State plays at home for the second consecutive weekend when it welcomes Valparaiso and UIC to ISU Arena for Friday and Saturday evening matches.
Friday's match against Valparaiso starts at 6 p.m., with first serve in Saturday's match against UIC set for 5 p.m. Both matches will be streamed on ESPN+.
Matchday Promotions
Friday's match has been designated as Mental Health Awareness Night. Indiana State will be wearing green ribbons to promote mental health awareness amongst student-athletes. The Indiana State volleyball Instagram has been cross-promoting mental health awareness this week along with Sycamore Solace and student-athletes from both the Indiana State and Valparaiso volleyball programs. In partnership with Sycamore Solace, SGA and campus partners, t-shirts will be given away while supplies last.
Saturday's match has been designated as Breast Cancer Awareness Night. Indiana State will wear pink ribbons on Saturday night, while Sycamore Athletics has partnered with the Susan G. Komen Foundation of the Wabash Valley to raise awareness at the match.
Last Time Out
The Sycamores are in search of their first conference win of the season, having dropped a four-set match to Evansville in their most recent match.
Kira Holland and
Ella Scott led Indiana State with 13 kills each against the Purple Aces, while
Hannah Baudin recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 21 assists and 11 digs.
Back To Back
Indiana State outside hitter
Kira Holland was named MVC Freshman of the Week for the second straight week after posting her fourth double-double of the season against Drake. Holland is the first Sycamore in program history to earn multiple MVC Freshman of the Week honors, while Indiana State leads all MVC programs with three MVC Freshman of the Week selections in 2023.
Holland leads all MVC freshmen with 3.18 kills per set, while her 2.58 digs are third among freshmen in the conference. Her numbers jump to 3.44 kills per set and 2.92 digs per set against conference foes.
Growing The Game
Indiana State's crowds this season have been among the best in program history, with the Sycamores drawing crowds at or near capacity in each of their first three home matches.
The announced attendance of 651 against IUPUI was the largest crowd to witness an Indiana State volleyball match in the facility it its current configuration. Indiana State has averaged 507 fans per match for its home contests, equating to 101.5 percent capacity in the 500-seat ISU Arena.
Topping the Charts
Kira Holland has been the standout performer for the Sycamores since the calendar turned to conference play. Holland has accounted for nearly 30 percent of Indiana State's kills in conference play, while her 3.44 kills per set against conference foes ranks eighth in the MVC and first among freshmen.
Holland is the only athlete in the conference to rank in the top 20 in kills (eighth, 3.44 per set), digs (20th, 2.92 per set) and service aces (14th, 0.28 per set) against conference foes. She has double-digit kills in six conference matches and double-digit digs in four.
The Kids Are Alright
Indiana State has relied heavily on its newcomers since the calendar turned to conference play.
Kira Holland leads the Sycamores in kills and digs,
Avery Hales leads the team in assists and
Ella Scott leads the team in blocks, hitting percentage and aces during conference play, while
Macy Lengacher has been the Sycamore libero in every match.
In addition, newcomers
Jadyn Smith and
Madisen Perry both average more than one kill per set against conference foes. Overall, all seven newcomers who have been active for a match this season have played in at least six matches, while five newcomers have appeared in double-digit matches for the Trees.
Opponents At A Glance
Valparaiso enters the weekend at 11-9 overall and 3-4 in conference play. The Beacons earned a split at home last weekend, defeating Bradley in five sets and falling to Illinois State in three sets. Five Beacons have topped 100 kills this season, with Mallory Januski (176) and Elise Swistek (165) leading the way. Emma Hickey has a team-high 369 digs (5.13 per set), while Januski also leads the team with 57 blocks.
UIC enters the weekend at 13-7 overall and 4-3 in MVC play. The Flames defeated Bradley and fell to Illinois State last week, both in three sets. Martina Delucchi (269) and Ayat Amin (242) lead the Flames in kills, with Francesca Venturini dishing out 555 assists this season. Zahria Woodard has a team-high 101 blocks, while Jaclyn Oblena has 234 digs.
Series History
Indiana State has a 17-16 lead in the all-time series and has won nine of the 14 previous matches in Terre Haute. The Sycamores and Beacons have split the last four meetings in the series.
UIC has a 6-2 in the all-time series, with last year's match in Chicago being the first between the programs since 2000 and the first since UIC joined the MVC. Indiana State's last win in the series came in 1984, and UIC has won both previous meetings in Terre Haute.
Up Next
Indiana State heads on the road to face Bradley (Oct. 20) and Illinois State (Oct. 21).
Follow the Sycamores
For the latest information on the Sycamore Volleyball team, make sure to check out
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