INDIANAPOLIS – Emma Kaelin recorded her third match with double-digit kills Friday night, but visiting Indiana State was defeated by Butler in three sets (25-16, 25-23, 25-21) inside Hinkle Fieldhouse.
 
Kaelin finished with 13 kills and eight digs, while Ella Scott added seven kills. Chloe Gilley had 14 digs, while Emily Weber dished out 24 assists for the Sycamores.
 
An early kill from Kaelin, paired with Butler attack errors, kept the Trees in the thick of things to start the first set. Scott and Kaelin tacked on kills midway through, but a 9-1 Bulldog run proved to be the difference in the opening frame. Late kills from Hannah Baudin, Scott and Kaelin weren't enough for the Sycamores, who dropped the first set 25-16.
 
Scott led the way for the Trees in the early stages of the second set, while an ace from Weber kept the Sycamores within a pair at 10-8. Butler ran its lead up to 17-11 midway through, but Indiana State's resilient squad battled back. Consecutive kills from Kaelin, Weber and Scott halved the deficit, and back-to-back kills from Josilyn Wadas evened the set at 20-all. Kills from Jadyn Smith and Weber bolsterd the Sycamores late, but Butler held on to take the second set 25-23
 
Kills from Wadas and Smith got things going for the Sycamores in the third set, and Curry Kendall added a kill to give the Trees a 6-5 lead. Butler went on a run to take a four-point lead, but Indiana State whittled its deficit down to 11-10 courtsey of errors from the home side. Kaelin kept the deficit at a point with a net-clip service ace, though Butler managed to later increase its lead to 18-15. Baudin and Kaelin put down kills to even the score at 19-apiece, with the former adding amother kill to keep things knotted. Butler broke through late, though, scoring four of the last five points to win the third set 25-21 and take the match.
 
News and Notes

• Emma Kaelin recorded her third match with double-digit kills this season after not recording double-digit kills in a match in her career prior to 2024.
• Chloe Gilley averaged 4.67 digs per set in Friday's match, the best per-set average for a Sycamore in a match this season.
• Indiana State had more digs than Butler (47-45), marking the third straight match that the Sycamores had more digs than their opponent.
• Despite the setback, Indiana State had more kills than Butler (33-31) in Friday's match.
• Indiana State had three different players with three or more blocks – Josilyn Wadas (four), Hannah Baudin (three) and Emily Weber (three).
• Indiana State limited Butler to a .143 hitting percentage, the lowest by a Sycamore opponent through the first four matches of the 2024 campaign.

 
Up Next
Indiana State and Butler square off once again Saturday at 5 p.m. inside ISU Arena. The match is the Sycamores' Mental Health Matters match, and will also feature Miss ISU and Miss Crossroads to America performing the national anthem.
 
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