VALPARAISO, Ind. – Avery Hales recorded her first double-double of the season Friday night with 16 assists and 12 digs, but Valparaiso defeated Indiana State in four sets (25-13, 25-10, 25-27, 25-15) inside the Athletics-Recreation Center.
 
Kira Holland and Curry Kendall tallied nine kills each, with Emma Kaelin and Lily Mueller each adding five. Chloe Gilley led the Trees with 19 digs, while Ella Scott had four blocks.
 
Kills from Kendall and Emily Weber got the Sycamores started, with Holland putting down a pair to keep the Trees on pace with the home side. Valpo broke things open midway through, though, going on a 10-3 run an never looking back. Two more kills from Holland pulled the Sycamores closer, but the Beacons cruised to a 25-13 win in the opener.
 
Valpo rode its momentum into set two by scoring the first six points of the set. Kendall tacked on two more kills to give the Trees some life, but the Beacons kept answering every Indiana State point with one of their own. A seven-point run towards the back half of the set saw the home side extend their lead to double-digits, and Valpo seized full control of the match by taking set two 25-10.
 
Similar to the first two sets, Valparaiso jumped out to an early lead, but the Sycamores had an answer in set three. Consecutive aces from Kendall knotted the score at six, and the Trees later went in front following a kill from Holland. Indiana State took its one-point lead into the media timeout with a kill from Weber to make it 15-14, before Scott and Holland added kills to extend the advantage. Kills from Mueller and Emma Kaelin gave the Sycamores a pair of set points, but Valpo went on a run to force a match point for the Beacons. The Trees stood tall under pressure, with a pair of block assists giving the Sycamores a 27-25 win in set three to extend the match.
 
Valparaiso jumped out to another early lead in the fourth, and this time the Beacons kept their foot on the gas. Kills from Holland, Kendall and Mueller gave the Sycamores some momentum, and the Trees pulled within three at 11-8 following an ace from Hales. Another long scoring run, this one an 8-1 swing for the Beacons, was too much for Indiana State to overcome, though, as Valpo closed out the match by taking set four 25-15.
 
News and Notes

• Chloe Gilley recorded a career-high 19 digs in Friday's match.
• Avery Hales' 12 digs were a career-high, while her 16 assists were her most in a match this season. Hales recorded her first double-double of the season Friday.
• Curry Kendall had multiple aces in a match for the first time in her career.
• Firday's third set win snapped a streak of three straight three-set losses to Valparaiso.

 
Up Next
Indiana State continues its season-ending road trip Saturday at 7 p.m. at UIC.
 
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.