DeKalb, Ill - Indiana State volleyball fell in both matches on day one of the NIU Invitational. They opened play versus SIUE, losing in four sets (17-25, 25-23, 21-25, 20-25) and then losing in a grueling five-set match versus host Northern Illinois (15-25, 25-23, 18-25, 25-14, 11-15). Indiana State closes out the tournament on Saturday afternoon vs. Merrimack at 3:30 p.m. ET.
 
Match One: SIUE 3, Indiana State 1
The Sycamores were led by Ava Robart with 18 kills, and Kira Holland added 12 kills. Avery Hales (19) and Emily Weber (14) almost evenly contributed assists, while Chole Gilley (13), Macy Lengacher (10), and Hadley Hardersen (12) added a combined 35 digs on the defensive side, aided also by blocks from Ella Scott (5) and Kimora Whetstone (4). 

The Sycamores started off the match with a 4-0 run, started by an opening kill by Robart. The Trees and Cougars traded points back and forth before SIUE was able to put together a 6-0 run on the backs of the Sycamores' struggling offense. Despite Robart's five kills and two service aces, the Sycamores let up a second 6-0 run and were not able to recover before the set ended.

The Cougars' offense came out swinging, going on an opening 4-0 run. Battling back, the Sycamores' offense settled into the set and began to make moves. The Sycamores were able to make their own 4-0 run with kills from the front line of Weber (1), Robart (5), and Scott (2). The Sycamores turned around via an 8-3 run to give them a five-point edge. Despite SIUE battling back into the set, the Trees' offense held strong and were able to tie the match up 1-1.

With the match being tied entering set three, both teams came out looking to gain the edge in an early swaying set. Both offenses struggled to string more than three points together, but it was the Cougars that gained the slight edge over the Sycamores despite hitting a .268 and only tallying five attack errors.

With the match on the line, the Trees were looking for a win; however, SIUE came out with a 7-2 spurt looking to put the match away. The Sycamores had their own 4-0 run to battle back. Despite blocks by Scott (2) and Kimora Whetstone (1) and kills by Robart (3), Holland (3), and Scott (3), the Sycamores and Cougars were trading points, but ultimately SIUE came out on top on a tough attack error by the Trees.

Match Two: NIU 3, Indiana State 2
In match two, the Sycamores were led by Holland with 16 kills, and Ava Robart added 14 kills of her own for the Sycamores' offense. Weber added a strong 25 assists, while Gilley led the defense with 21 digs. Whetstone added two blocks.

The Sycamores showed up looking to get a win in the second match, coming out swinging to jump to an early 3-0 lead. Northern Illinois, following winning their opening match, was not ready to lose on their home court as they countered with a 7-0 run of their own. Despite kills by Holland (4) and Hadley Hardersen, the Huskies continued to go on another 7-0 run, ultimately putting the Sycamores out of reach for set one. Not liking the outcome of the opening set, the Sycamores looked to flip the momentum with opening kills by Holland (3) and Hardersen (2). NIU bounced back and the teams continued to trade off runs of two-to-three points each until the Sycamores were able to go on a 4-0 run due to service aces by Weber (2). Ultimately, the Trees were able to prevail and tie the match at 1-1.

After a grueling second set, both teams were looking to take the edge. The Huskies were able to open on a 3-0 run. A ill from Whetstone (1) and an ace from Hardersen (1) brought the Sycamores back even with the Huskies. Yet NUU court went on a 6-0 run, largely in part due to numerous errors from the Sycamores' offense. Despite strong defense for the Trees, the Huskies' offense found ways to score points and ultimately took set three.

The Sycamores once again came out swinging, taking a large 8-0 lead early in the set, largely in part due to kills and aces from the service line. The Huskies attempted to get their offense rolling, but the Sycamores' defense stood strong as the Huskies' offensive attack struggled to gather kills as Indiana State continued to put the ball away. The Sycamores sent the match to a deciding fifth set after a 9-2 run to end the set with loud kills by Scott (4) and Holland (5).

With the match on the line, both teams were putting everything they had on the court. Despite the Huskies winning the opening points, Indiana State regrouped and went on a 4-0 run on the back of their defense. However, NIU was not going to let the Sycamores have a repeat of set four. The Huskies' defense stepped up and put a small halt in the Tree's offense, before a big kill by Robart (2) swung the momentum back with to the Trees. NIU continued to battle as fatigue began to set into the Trees after eight sets of volleyball on the day, and a few holes were exposed. Despite the Trees' offense doing everything they could, NIU hit .318 to close out the match and take the victory.

Combined News & Notes

• Ava Robart led the day in kills with 32 total (32-16-84, .190). She added eight digs and three service aces. In game one, she finished with 18 kills, a new high of her young career.
• Kira Holland finished with 28 kills (28-17-93, .118), adding in 13 digs, three aces, and two blocks.
• Holland and Robart combined for 60-of-100 kills for the Sycamores.
• Ella Scott combined for 15 kills between the matches (15-2-28, .464). She totaled eight blocks (the most on the team) including seven block solos, four digs, and three aces.
  • Scott recorded four block solos against SIUE, setting a new career high in the category.
  • She has recorded at least three blocks in each match this season.
• Kimora Whetstone chipped in 11 total kills (11-5-26, .231) with six blocks.
  • She has recorded four blocks in three-of-five matches this season.
• Emily Weber finished with 39 assists, nine digs, five kills, and three aces.
• Avery Hales totaled 29 assists and 18 digs.
• Macy Lengacher (a DS/L) recorded a single kill, moving her to seven in her career.
• Chloe Gilley set a new career high in assists in the match against SIUE with six, beating her previous high by one.
• As a team, in the second match against NIU the Sycamores recorded nine service aces, the most of the young season. That number would have tied for fourth-most comparing to last season.
• The seven block solos recorded in the first match against SIUE are the most of the season and the most since the Trees had seven against Northern Iowa on November 12, 2021.

Up Next
Indiana State closes out the NIU Invitational on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET, facing off against Merrimack. 

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.