TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Jadyn Smith tallied a career-best 17 kills Saturday evening and hit nearly .400 in the process, but it came in a losing effort as Indiana State was defeated by Butler in four sets (25-22, 20-25, 25-20, 25-14) inside ISU Arena.
 
Smith was joined in double-digit kills by Emma Kaelin, who had 14 to go along with 11 digs. Emily Weber dished out 37 assists, while Emmy Sher matched Kaelin with 11 digs. Ella Scott had six kills and five blocks for the Sycamores.
 
Kaelin and Hannah Baudin had the hot hand early, with each notching quick kills to give the Trees a strong start to set one. A 5-1 run on Kaelin's serve, which featured a pair of kills from Smith, put Indiana State ahead 11-6, and Scott tacked on an ace following a Butler timeout. The visitors worked their way back into the set, using a 7-1 run to knot things up at 17-all. Scott added a pair of late kills, and teamed up with Weber for a block assist in the closing stages, but Butler eked out a 25-22 win in the opening frame.
 
Butler opened the second set strong, but back-to-back kills from Kaelin followed by a service ace from Cadence Gilley tied things up in the early stages. The Sycamores and Bulldogs traded points through the middle stages of the set, until consecutive kills from Kaelin, along with a pair of kills from Smith put the Trees in front 20-16. Two more kills from Smith, along with a Weber service ace put Indiana State on the brink of evening the score. The Trees claimed the second set 25-20, with a Butler error clinching the set.
 
Kills from Smith and Scott got things started for the Sycamores in set three, with Baudin and Kaelin adding on to make it 5-4 Trees early in the frame. Butler went on a run midway through the set and, despite facing a double-digit deficit, Indiana State never backed down. Kills from Scott and Smith made it 21-13, and the Sycamores later fended off four straight set points. Weber and Kaelin had kills during the set-point stretch, while Macy Lengacher served up an ace and the freshman duo of Curry Kendall and Josilyn Wadas had a block with authority as the Sycamores trimmed their deficit down to four. In the end, the Trees' third-set rally came up just short, as Butler held on to take the set 25-20.
 
Butler took full control early in the fourth set, as the Bulldogs won 12 of the first 16 points. Smith tried to rally the Sycamores with a pair of kills, but the Bulldogs extended their lead out to double-digits late. A pair of kills from Kendall, along with kills from Weber and Smith, got the Sycamores closer, but Butler clinched the match by taking the fourth set 25-14.
 
News and Notes

• Emma Kaelin recorded her second double-double of the season with 14 kills and 11 digs. She now has 19 double-doubles for her career, the most among active Sycamores.
• Emma Kaelin has notched double-digit kills in four of Indiana State's first five matches.
• Jadyn Smith's 17 kills, .361 hitting percentage and five digs all represented career-best marks for the sophomore.
• Three different Sycamores – Emma Kaelin, Ella Scott and Emily Weber – had multiple service aces, while Scott and Weber both had three-plus blocks.
• Indiana State had more blocks (7-5) and aces (9-5) than Butler.
• Indiana State utilized the double-libero rule, which was introduced for the 2024 season, in Saturday's match. Sisters Cadence and Chloe Gilley split the libero duties for the Sycamores.
• Indiana State's announced attendance of 523 was its fifth over-capacity crowd since the start of the 2023 season.

 
Up Next
Indiana State heads back on the road for the Bluff City Showdown Sept. 13-14 in Memphis, Tennessee. The Sycamores will face Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Lamar and Memphis during their time in the Mid-South.
 
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