TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State hits the road for the first time in Missouri Valley Conference play, as the Sycamores head south to face Belmont and Murray State in the first two matches of their three-match road trip Friday and Saturday.
 
The Trees will open the road portion of their conference schedule Friday night at Belmont for a 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT) serve, before heading to Murray State for a 6 p.m. ET (5 p.m. CT) match Saturday. Both matches will be aired on ESPN+
 
Last Time Out
Kira Holland led all players with 14 kills in Indiana State's last match, but visiting Southern Illinois defeated Indiana State in three sets (25-19, 25-23, 27-25) inside ISU Arena. Curry Kendall added 11 kills for the Blue and White, with Avery Hales dishing out 27 assists in the match. Holland tacked on five digs and a pair of aces for the Sycamores, who finished the match with more kills, assists and aces than Southern Illinois.
 
Indiana State previously saw its three-match win streak snapped in the conference opener, as visiting Bradley defeated the Sycamores in three sets (25-20, 25-16, 25-21). Curry Kendall led the way for the Sycamore attack with seven kills and a pair of aces, while Taylor Knuth added six kills. Avery Hales dished out 11 assists, while Emmy Sher led the Trees with eight digs.
 
Road Trippin'
Indiana State heads back on the road for the first time during Missouri Valley Conference play, but the Sycamores are no strangers to travel this season. The Trees have spent three of their first five weekends this season away from Terre Haute, and actually have a better record on the road than inside ISU Arena.
 
Indiana State owns a 6-3 record this season in away and neutral site matches, including a 5-1 mark in neutral site matches. The Trees last season with a record of .500 or better across road and neutral site matches came in 2000, when the Sycamores were 6-7 on the road and 3-2 in neutral site matches (9-9 overall).
 
The Trees also have recent success on the road against one of this weekend's opponents, having defeated Murray State in five sets last season on the road.
 
Balancing Act
Indiana State's attack this season has not relied on one singular player, with nine different Sycamores averaing more than one kill per set this season (min. 25 sets played). Four Sycamores - Curry Kendall (2.75), Kira Holland (2.70), Ava Robart  (2.55) and Corinne Knapp (2.03) - average more than two kills per set this season, while Holland has averaged more than three kills per set for her career and ranks among the top five in program history in kills per set.
 
The Sycamores' balanced effort has been on full display in 2026, as four different players - Kendall, Holland, Robart and Hadley Hardersen - have led the Blue and White in kills in a match this season. Indiana State has recorded four matches this season where four or more players have tallied 10 kills, including a match where five Sycamores tallied double-digit kills, a feat the Trees had not accomplished since the 2019 season.
 
Distance Crew
Indiana State has been no stranger to marathon matches this season, with the Sycamores already playing five five-set matches through their first 13 contests of the 2026 season. The opening weekend of conference play was the only weekend of the 2026 season where Indiana State did not play at least one five-set match.
 
The Sycamores' five five-setters already matches their entire 2025 total, with the Blue and White sporting a 3-2 record in matches that have gone the distance this season. The Trees' single-season record for five-set matches during the rally scoring era is 10, with that coming in the 2013 season. 
 
Aced It
Indiana State has placed an emphasis on gaining an advantage from the service line, as the Sycamores are currently on pace for their most aces per set in over 20 years. The Trees have recorded 85 service aces in 53 sets this season, with their average of 1.60 per set being the highest for a single season since the 2002 campaign (176 aces in 108 sets - 1.63 per set).
 
The Sycamores' service line successes can be seen throughout the conference rankings, with Indiana State featuring four of the top 30 athletes in the MVC in aces per set. Corinne Knapp (second, 0.60 per set) and Ava Robart (sixth, 0.41 pet set) both rank in the top 10 in the conference in aces per set, while Ella Scott (14th, 0.30 per set) also sits in the top 15 in the MVC. Avery Hales' 0.25 aces per set also ranks in the top 30 in the Valley.
 
Next Generation
Indiana State's best set from the opening weekend of conference play was spearheaded by a pair of underclassmen entering the rotation. After not playing the first two sets against Southern Illinois, Corinne Knapp and Sydney King combined for eight kills on a .429 hitting percentage (Knapp 6-2-12, King 2-0-2) in the third set against the Salukis.
 
King, who made her collegiate debut at the Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational, is hitting .410 across three matches this season, with 18 kills on 39 swings. Knapp hit .316 across the first two conference matches and is averaging 2.58 kills per set over the last two weekends of play.
 
This Weekend's Opponents At A Glance
Belmont enters the weekend at 5-8 overall and 2-0 in MVC play following road wins over Valparaiso and UIC. Similar to Indiana State, the Bruins feature a balanced attack with four players averaging more than two kills per set. Brenna Kauffeld's 2.82 kills per set paces Belmont's attack, while Mya Bolton averages nearly four digs per set.
 
Murray State comes in at 2-12 overall and 0-2 in MVC play after being swept on the road by preseason favorites Drake and Northern Iowa. Anne Makowski's 3.08 kills per set leads the Racer attack, with Katie Titus dishing out 7.08 assists per set.
 
Series History vs. This Weekend's Opponents
Indiana State is 3-6 against Belmont, including a 1-4 mark in Nashville. The Sycamores and Bruins split the season series last year, with Indiana State's last road win in the series coming in 2021 prior to Belmont joining the MVC.
 
Indiana State is 2-7 against Murray State, including a 1-3 mark in Murray. The one road win in the series for Indiana State came in the most recent meeting between the teams, with the Sycamores pulling out a five-set victory last season in Murray.
 
Up Next
Indiana State closes its three-match road trip October 9 at Illinois State before returning home to face Drake on October 10.

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