TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Kira Holland led Indiana State with 10 kills and 14 digs Friday night, but visiting Drake defeated the Sycamores in three sets (25-13, 25-14, 33-31) inside ISU Arena.
 
Holland's double-double was her fourth of the season and marked her third straight match with a double-double. Kaitlyn Hamilton added nine kills for the Sycamores, while Hannah Baudin had six kills and 13 assists.
 
Drake built an early 6-2 lead in the opening set and never looked back. Kills by Holland and Hamilton got the Trees within 10-6, but an 8-2 Bulldog run in the later stages of the set saw Drake's lead increase to 22-11. Baudin and Holland tacked on kills late in the set, but Drake took the opening frame 25-13.
 
The Bulldogs' momentum carried into the second set, as the visitors scored five of the first six points. A kill from Hamilton and a Holland service ace got the Sycamores within 10-7, but another lengthy Bulldog run saw Indiana State trailing 16-9. Kills by Baudin and Holland made it a five-point set late at 18-13, but Drake took seven of the last eight points to claim the second set 25-14 and take a 2-0 lead.
 
Drake took a 7-4 lead in the third set, but Indiana State rattled off a 5-1 scoring run of its own to even things at nine-apiece. Hamilton, Holland and Storm Suhre all had kills during the run for the Sycamores, who later took the lead in the set with kills from Baudin and Karinna Gall. A kill from Holland and a block assist by Hamilton and Ella Scott saw the Trees take a 20-18 lead, but Drake scored the next three points to retake the lead. Hamilton and Holland were the hot hands late for the Sycamores with six kills between the duo, but Drake managed to win a marathon third set 33-31 to clinch the match.
 
Inside the Numbers

• More than half of Indiana State's kills (18 out of 35) came in the third set.
• Reigning MVC Freshman of the Week Kira Holland now has double-doubles in each of the last three matches, averaging 4.27 kills and 3.27 digs per set across those matches.

 
News and Notes

• Friday's 33-31 third set was the longest set that Indiana State played in since September 3, 2021 against Alcorn State, with the Sycamores winning the second set of that match 35-33. The last set Indiana State played in where both teams had more than 30 points was November 8, 2019 against Evansville, with the Purple Aces winning the second set of that match 33-31.
• Through the first two home matches of the season, Indiana State is averaging an over-capacity attendance of 563. The Sycamores' attendance this season is nearly three times what Indiana State's 2022 attendance numbers were.
• Jadyn Smith made her first career start in Friday's match.

 
Up Next
Indiana State remains at home to face league-leading Northern Iowa Saturday at 4 p.m.
 
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