ATLANTA – Indiana State split a pair of matches at the GSU Invitational to kick off its 2024 season, as the Sycamores defeated host school Georgia State in five sets (19-25, 25-18, 26-24, 12-25, 15-12) before falling to Florida A&M in three sets (25-22, 25-20, 25-18) inside the GSU Sports Arena.
 
Emma Kaelin (14) and Jadyn Smith (11) both notched career-highs in kills in the opener against Georgia State, while Smith and Curry Kendall led the Sycamores with eight kills each against Florida A&M. Emilly Weber dished out 61 assists between the two matches, while Chloe Gilley was tied for the team lead in digs against both Georgia State (15) and Florida A&M (eight).
 
Match One: Indiana State 3, Georgia State 2
Kills from Smith and Kaelin got things started for the Sycamores in a back-and-forth first set. A pair of kills from Smith, paired with two service aces from Cadence Gilley, kept the Trees on level footing midway through before Georgia State pulled away. Kills from Kaelin and Kendall late in the set couldn't help the Sycamores overcome the deficit, as Georgia State won the opener 25-19.
 
Indiana State got off to a slow start in the second set, before consecutive kills by Kaelin gave the Trees life. Georgia State led past the midway point of the set before the Sycamores came roaring back with a 14-3 run to close the set. Two kills each from Ella Scott and Kaelin, followed by back-to-back service aces from Kaelin, put the Trees ahead for good in the set. Kills from Kendall and Weber were followed by an ace from Scott to seal a 25-18 set win for the Sycamores.
 
Early kills from Smith and Lily Mueller put the Trees in front to begin the third set, another frame which went down to the wire. Georgia State led for a majority of the early portion, but a pair of Emmy Sher service aces helped the Blue and White claim a 15-14 lead at the media timeout. Two more service aces from Scott, along with kills from Kendall and Mueller, had the Trees in prime position to take the set before Georgia State rallied late to tie it up. Indiana State prevailed, though, as a pair of GSU service errors and a block assist from Weber and Scott gave the Trees a 26-24 win in the third set.
 
Georgia State took nine of the first 10 points to begin the fourth set, a deficit Indiana State never recovered from in the frame. Kendall, Mueller and Smith recorded two points apiece in the set, but the slow starte proved costly. The home side forced a deciding set by taking the fourth 25-12.
 
Indiana State recovered from its poor fourth set, as back-to-back blocks to start the fifth set the tone for the Trees. Consecutive kills from Scott and Mueller put the Trees ahead 6-5, and Indiana State never trailed from that point forward. Service aces from Kaelin and Cadence Gilley, along with a trio of late kills from Kaelin, put the Sycamores on the brink of a season-opening win. Weber sealed the win for Indiana State with a kill off a setter dump to help the Sycamores take the deciding set 15-12.
 
Match Two: Florida A&M 3, Indiana State 0
Facing the daunting task of having to play a match just 30 minutes after a grueling five-setter, Indiana State found itself in an early 8-3 deficit. Kills from Kaelin, Scott and Weber helped pull the Sycamores back even, and consecutive kills from Kendall gave the Trees a 12-11 lead. Aces from Weber and Cadence Gilley pushed the lead up to 16-14, but a late run from the Rattlers proved costly for the Trees. Despite late kills from Kendall and Weber, Florida A&M took the opener 25-22.
 
Indiana State found itself in another hole early in the second set, as Florida A&M jumped out to a 9-4 lead. The Rattlers maintained control of their lead, but kills by Kaelin and Scott helped Indiana State cut its deficit down to 15-13. A pair of kills from Smith kept the Trees within two late, but Florida A&M used another late scoring run to clinch the second set 25-20.
 
Kills from Kendall and Scott got the third set started for the Sycamores, as the duo combined for four kills within the first 10 points. The set remained close until an eight-point run for the Rattlers broke things open. Smith, Scott and Kendall notched kills following the run, and Scott also added an ace, but the damage was already done by that point. Indiana State fended off one set point courtesy of a kill from Smith, but the Rattlers took the third set 25-18 to seal the match.
 
News and Notes

• Indiana State won its season opener for the first time since the 2018 season.
• Emma Kaelin (14) and Jadyn Smith (11) both recorded their first career matches with double-digit kills.
• Indiana State had 12 aces in its win over Georgia State, continuing a trend from last season. The Sycamores had 145 aces in 2023, a 55-ace increase from 2022.
• Emily Weber surpassed 1500 assists for her collegiate career during Friday's doubleheader.
• Indiana State hit above .300 in two of its three set wins against Georgia State (.360 in the second set, .435 in the fifth set).
• Despite the loss, Indiana State hit .357 in the third set against Florida A&M.
• Indiana State won a true road match for the first time since November 2021 with its win over Georgia State.
• Friday's meeting was the first-ever between Indiana State and Florida A&M. Indiana State improved to 2-0 against Georgia State.

 
Up Next
Indiana State closes play at the GSU Invitational Saturday at 11 a.m. against South Dakota State.
 
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