CINCINNATI – Kaitlyn Hamilton registered 13 kills on a .419 hitting percentage Sunday afternoon, but host Cincinnati defeated Indiana State in three sets (25-21,25-18,25-17) inside Fifth Third Arena to close the Tribute to #10 tournament.
 
Ella Scott added six kills, while Madisen Perry and Karinna Gall tallied four kills apiece. Hannah Baudin dished out 28 assists, while Cadence Gilley had a team-leading 10 digs.
 
Hamilton got things started for the Sycamores with an early kill, but Cincinnati quickly took the lead in the first set and never trailed for the remainder of the opening frame. The Sycamores got within a point on multiple occasions, including 16-15 after a pair of kills by Gall and a block assist by Scott and Hamilton, but never got closer in the set. Hamilton tacked on a pair of late kills, but the homestanding Bearcats took the first set 25-21.
 
Indiana State found itself in an early 4-0 hole in the second set, but the Sycamores responded with a rally of their own. Hamilton had three kills in a five-point span, while Gall and Perry added kills to put the Trees in front 8-7. Indiana State increased its lead to 10-8 following a kill by Perry and a Cincinnati attack error, but the Bearcats came right back. Cincinnati went on a run to take a 15-13 lead at the media timeout and never looked back. Scott registered a pair of kills in a three-point span late in the set, but Cincinnati took the second set 25-18.
 
The Sycamores looked to flip the script in the third set, with Hamilton opening the set with back-to-back kills and Emma Kaelin adding a service ace to make it 3-0. Cincinnati tied things back up before a pair of kills by Baudin put the Blue and White in front once more at 7-6. A three-point Cincinnati run saw the Bearcats take an 11-9 lead that they never relinquished. Indiana State got within two at 16-14 following back-to-back kills by Kira Holland, but that was as close as the Sycamores got. Cincinnati closed by taking seven of the last eight points to win the third 25-17, clinching the match in the process.
 
Inside the Numbers

• Indiana State hit .202 for the match, with the Sycamores' numbers improving to .238 in the second set and .244 in the third set after a slow first set from an attacking standpoint.
• Ella Scott posted six kills for the second straight match, while Madisen Perry's four kills were her most among the opening weekend contests.
• All seven Sycamores who recorded a kill Sunday averaged at least one kill per set. Four of those seven (Kaitlyn Hamilton, Ella Scott, Madisen Perry, Kira Holland) had at least two kills per set.

 
News and Notes

• Kira Holland made her Indiana State debut in the third set Sunday, recording two kills on four attempts to go along with two digs.
• Kaitlyn Hamilton recorded double-digit kills for the second straight match and was one of two Sycamores to average double-digit kills for the weekend along with Karinna Gall.
• Karinna Gall averaged a double-double for the opening weekend (12 kills per match, 10.7 digs per match).
• Five of Indiana State's eight newcomers made their Sycamore debut over the course of the opening weekend (Hannah Baudin, Kira Holland, Macy Lengacher, Madisen Perry and Ella Scott), with a pair of freshmen (Scott and Lengacher) starting in all three matches.

 
Up Next
Indiana State heads to St. Charles, Missouri, for the Lindenwood Invitational Friday and Saturday. The Sycamores open the weekend with a Friday twinbill against ULM and Austin Peay before closing play Saturday against Lindenwood.
 
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