TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State closes a four-match road trip Friday and Saturday in the Prairie State, with the Sycamores squaring off against Illinois State and Bradley.
Friday's match at Illinois State State is slated for a 7 p.m. first serve, while Saturday's tilt at Bradley will start at 6 p.m. Both matches will be streamed on ESPN+.
Last Time Out
Indiana State dropped the first two matches of its four-match road trip, falling to Murray State in three sets (25-16, 25-22, 25-20) and Belmont in four sets (25-17, 25-22, 20-25, 25-14).
The Sycamores recorded 11 blocks against Murray State, marking their third match with 11 or more blocks this season.
Ella Scott led the way with seven blocks, with four Sycamores recording three or more blocks.
Four Indiana State players had double-digit digs against Belmont, led by season-best totals from
Chloe Gilley (17) and
Curry Kendall (15). Indiana State's 64 digs against Belmont was the Sycamores' second-most digs in a match this season.
Road Trippin'
This weekend's matches at Illinois State and Bradley wrap up a four-match road trip for Indiana State, the Sycamores' longest stretch of road matches during the conference slate.
Being on the road is something the Sycamores have become accustomed to, as Indiana State has played just three home matches through the first six weeks of the 2024 season.
Following this weekend's matches, Indiana State plays seven of its next nine matches at home. Nine of Indiana State's last 12 regular season matches are in the state of Indiana.
Can You Dig It?
Indiana State registered 64 digs in its last match at Belmont, averaging 16 digs per set against the Bruins. It was the second-most digs for Indiana State in a match this season (69 vs. Eastern Michigan) and the third-highest per-set total for the Sycamores (18.67 vs. Valparaiso, 17.25 vs. Eastern Michigan).
Four different Sycamores recorded 10 or more digs in the match against Belmont.
Chloe Gilley had a team-leading and season-high 17 digs, while
Curry Kendall also notched a team-high 15 digs against Belmont.
Emma Kaelin added 11 digs as part of a double-double, while
Macy Lengacher had 10 digs for the Trees.
Block Party
Indiana State recorded its fourth match with double-digit blocks this season against Murray State, with the Sycamores registering 11 rejections against the Racers. The Sycamores' 3.67 blocks per set was Indiana State's best per-set average in a match this season.
The Sycamores' netfront presence was a balanced effort, as four different players had three or more blocks for Indiana State.
Ella Scott led the way with seven (two solo, five assist), while
Emily Weber (four),
Lily Mueller (three) and
Emma Kaelin (three) all had three or more block assists.
Milestone Moments
Indiana State has already had multiple athletes reach career milestones this season, with additional career marks also in reach in the opening weeks of conference play
Emily Weber surpassed 1500 assists for her collegiate career during the Sycamores' opening weekend of play, while both Weber and
Cadence Gilley went over the 50-ace mark for their careers during non-conference play.
Six more career milestone marks are within reach for the Sycamores in conference play.
Ella Scott is four aces away from reaching 50 for her career, while both Gilley (459) and
Macy Lengacher (452) are nearing 500 digs for their collegiate careers. Weber also sits just eight kills away from reaching 200 for her career, 41 digs away from 500 in her career and 106 assists away from 2000 in her career.
Aced It
Indiana State has been lethal from the service line to start the 2024 season, as the Sycamores rank among the MVC leaders in both total aces (102) and aces per set (1.73). The Trees enter the weekend ranked first in the conference in aces per set and third in total aces.
Indiana State's success from the service line has been a balanced effort, as five different Sycamores have already registered double-digit aces this season.
Ella Scott,
Cadence Gilley and
Emma Kaelin all rank in the top 12 in the MVC in aces per set, while
Emmy Sher also ranks in the top 20 in the conference.
As a team, Indiana State already has a trio of matches with double-digit aces this season after having just four such matches in all of 2023. The Sycamores had 12 aces against Georgia State and 10 against both South Dakota State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Heavy Hitter
Indiana State freshman
Curry Kendall has led the Sycamores' attack through the first two weekends of conference play. Kendall ranks in the top 20 in the MVC with 2.69 kills per set against conference foes, totaling 35 kills over the last four matches.
Kendall tallied a match-high 12 kills in the Sycamores' three-setter against Valparaiso, with her .320 hitting percentage against the Beacons representing her best output of the season. In addition, she also registered a season-high 15 digs in the Sycamores' last match at Belmont.
This Weekend's Opponents At A Glance
Winners of three straight, Illinois State enters the weekend at 8-9 overall and 3-1 in conference play. The Redbird attack is led by preseason all-conference selection Aida Shadewald, who has 250 kills and averages 3.47 kills per set. Caitlyn Little (2.95) and Khenedi Guest (2.22) also average more than two kills per set, while Mekaila Aupiu has dished out 680 assists. Sammi Bunch leads the team with 242 digs, while Guest has a team-high 50 blocks.
Bradley enters at 8-8 overall and 3-1 in conference play after splitting on the road at Southern Illinois and Missouri State. Iva Popovic leads the Braves' attack with 221 kills, while Silan Demirkol has added 176. Maria Drapp (338 assists) and Corrie Brown (278) have split the setting duties, while Irene Mostardini hasa a team-leadin 306 digs. Beste Ayhan leads Bradley with 61 blocks.
Series History vs. This Weekend's Opponents
Indiana State is 10-67 all-time against Illinois State, and the Redbirds have a commanding 36-2 advantage in matches played in Normal. Illinois State has won each of the last four matches in the series, though Indiana State's last win in the series came in Normal during the 2021 season.
Indiana State is 34-47 all-time against Bradley, with the Braves sporting a 31-9 record against the Sycamores in matches played in Peoria. The Sycamores' last win in the series came in the 2022 conference opener in Terre Haute, with Indiana State's last win in Peoria coming in 2017.
Up Next
Indiana State plays three home matches in a four-day span, with Missouri State (Oct. 18), Southern Illinois (Oct. 19) and Evansville (Oct. 21) all paying a visit to ISU Arena.
Follow the Sycamores
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