TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State kicks off its 2023 volleyball season Friday afternoon, as the Sycamores head to Cincinnati for the Tribute to #10 Tournament at Fifth Third Arena.
The Sycamores will face Xavier on Friday, Alabama State on Saturday and tournament host Cincinnati on Sunday, with all three matches starting at 3 p.m. Sunday's match against Cincinnati will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Running It Back
Head coach
Ashlee Pritchard's second season at the helm sees the Sycamores return eight faces from its 2022 roster. Among the eight returners are six starters - outside hitters
Karinna Gall,
Kaitlyn Hamilton and
Mallory Keller, middle blockers
Jamie Brown and
Storm Suhre, and defensive specialist
Emma Kaelin, who was the Sycamores' primary setter a year ago. Defensive specialists
Cadence Gilley, who played in all 93 sets last season, and
Asia Povlin round out the returners
Indiana State returns nearly all of its attacking production from a year ago. The Sycamores' top five kills leaders (Hamilton, Gall, Suhre, Keller, Brown) are all back for the Blue and White this season. Those five also represent the Sycamores' top five blocks leaders from a year ago, with Brown and Suhre both ranking in the top 10 of the MVC in the statistic.
Welcome To The Forest
In addition to the eight returning players, this year's Indiana State squad features eight newcomers.
Hannah Baudin,
Avery Hales,
Kira Holland,
Macy Lengacher,
Madisen Perry,
Ava Rundle,
Ella Scott and
Jadyn Smith all enter their first season in the Blue and White in 2023. Baudin and Perry are junior college transfers, while Hales, Holland, Lengacher, Rundle, Scott and Smith are all freshmen.
Among the new faces are three outside hitters, two setters, two defensive specialists and one middle blocker. Five of the new faces are Indiana natives (Hales, Lengacher, Rundle, Scott, Smith), with two from Illinois (Baudin, Perry) and one from Ohio (Holland).
Block Party
Despite things not going to plan in the 2022 season, Indiana State still found success in multiple defensive areas, with the Sycamores' netfront presence among the best in the Missouri Valley Conference. Indiana State averaged 2.25 blocks per set in 2022, a mark that ranked second in the MVC. The Sycamores recorded seven or more blocks in 19 of their 26 matches last season, including seven matches with 10-plus blocks.
A major reason the Sycamores were among the MVC leaders in blocks was the middle blocker tandem of
Jamie Brown and
Storm Suhre. Both Brown (sixth, 1.04 per set) and Suhre (10th, 0.96 per set) ranked among the top 10 in the conference in blocks per set. Indiana State was one of just two schools in the conference with multiple athletes among the top 10 in blocks.
Can You Dig It?
Indiana State finished the 2022 season among the MVC's best when it came to digs. The Sycamores averaged 16.5 digs per set, a mark that ranked second in the conference and 23rd in the nation. Indiana State's dig numbers were even greater in conference play, as the Sycamores averaged 17.1 digs per set against MVC foes.
Karinna Gall led all returning Sycamores with 278 digs last year, with her 3.20 digs per set ranking 14th in the conference and third among MVC outside hitters.
Cadence Gilley (212 digs, 2.28 per set),
Emma Kaelin (188 digs, 2.16 per set) and
Kaitlyn Hamilton (105 digs, 1.19 per set) all had more than 100 digs and averaged more than a dig per set for the Trees last season. The per-set averages for both Hamilton and Kaelin were career-best marks, while Hamilton's 105 digs in 2022 were more than her 2020-21 and 2021 season totals combined.
Fight To The Finish
Indiana State's 2022 season didn't go the way the Sycamores hoped, but the Sycamores were almost always within striking distance in every match.
Of the 93 sets played by the Sycamores in 2022, 52 were decided by five points or less. That figure does not include seven sets that Indiana State won by more than five points.
Opponents At A Glance
Xavier finished the 2022 season at 21-12 overall and 11-7 in Big East play. The Musketeers reached the quarterfinals of the NIVC before falling to eventual champion Boston College. Brooklyn Cink returns after leading the team with 433 kills last season.
Alabama State was the SWAC Regular Season Champion in 2022, going 20-15 overall and 15-1 in conference play on their way to an NIVC appearance. The Lady Hornets have to replace half of their starting lineup from last year, but Jada Rhodes, who led the team with 359 kills, is among the returners.
Cincinnati was 11-19 overall and 9-11 in conference play, their last in the AAC. The Bearcats moved to the Big 12 prior to this year and return most of their top hitters, led by Carly Glendinning (312 kills) and Abby Walker (281 kills).
Series History
Indiana State has won seven of the eight all-time meetings against Xavier. The Sycamores and Musketeers have not met since a four-set win by Xavier in 1991.
Saturday's meeting will be the first-ever matchup between Indiana State and Alabama State. The Sycamores last played a SWAC opponent in 2021, defeating Alcorn State in three sets.
Indiana State is 2-6 all-time against Cincinnati. The Bearcats won the last matchup between the teams in three sets in 2019, with the Sycamores' last win in the series coming in 1991.
Up Next
Indiana State faces UL-Monroe, Austin Peay and Lindenwood Sept. 1-2 at the Lindenwood Invitational in St. Charles, Missouri. UL-Monroe and Lindenwood are both first-time opponents for the Trees, while Austin Peay and Indiana State last squared off in 2021.
Follow the Sycamores
For the latest information on the Sycamore Volleyball team, make sure to check out
GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including
Facebook, Twitter and
Instagram. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from both the
App Store and the
Google Play Store.
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