TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Kira Holland became the 13th player in Indiana State history to eclipse 1,000 career kills Saturday evening, but visiting Illinois State spoiled the celebrations by defeating the Sycamores in four sets (25-15, 25-17, 23-25, 25-18) inside ISU Arena.
Holland led the Sycamores with 13 kills on the evening, giving her 1,001 for her career. She became just the third player in program history to reach 1,000 career kills while playing in the 25-point rally scoring era, and the first to accomplish the feat since 2016.
Lily Mueller and
Curry Kendall added eight kills each for the Trees, with Mueller hitting an efficient .500 for the match.
Macy Lengacher added 17 digs from the libero spot, while
Ella Scott tallied a match-high five blocks.
Set 1 | Illinois State 25, Indiana State 15
Kills from Kendall and Scott put the Trees ahead early, but that momentum soon faded as Illinois State went on a six-point run to lead 8-4. The four-point margin was the closest the Sycamores got for the remainder of the set, as Illinois State took advantage of errors from the Blue and White to lead by as many as nine in the set. A late ace from
Ava Robart along with a block from Mueller and Holland added to the Sycamore score towards the end, but Illinois State cruised to a 25-15 win in the opening frame.
Set 2 | Illinois State 25, Indiana State 17
Similar to the first set, Illinois State used an early run to build a 10-5 lead, with the visitors extending their lead to seven by the midway point of the set. The Redbirds had all the momentum for most of the set, leading by as many as 11 at 20-9, before kills from Holland and Mueller helped the Sycamores slowly work their way back.
Dylann Loggins gave the Trees a much-needed spark of energy with a pair of kills in her first collegiate action, but Illinois State managed to close out a 25-17 second set win.
Set 3 | Indiana State 25, Illinois State 23
Holland put down back-to-back kills to give the Trees a 6-5 lead in what became a back-and-forth third set. Kills from Scott and
Corinne Knapp kept the Sycamores on pace with the Redbirds, but Illinois State used another scoring run to go ahead by four just past the media timeout. Two more kills from Scott sandwiched between an ace from Knapp pulled the Trees right back in the set, with another ace from
Hadley Hardersen giving the Sycamores a 22-21 lead. Kendall finished off the comeback moments later with a kill off an overpass, as the Sycamores rallied to take the third 25-23.
Set 4 | Illinois State 25, Indiana State 18
In a similar theme to the match as a whole, Illinois State jumped out to a four-point lead in the foruth set, but three kills from Hardersen and an ace from Scott helped the Sycamores pull within a point at 9-8. A pair of kills from Holland, along with a block from Knapp and Mueller, helped the Trees tie the set at 11, but another Redbird run saw the visitors in front at the media timeout. Holland reached her milestone moment shortly after the timeout, with Scott and Hardersen also adding kills to get the Sycamores back within a point. Illinois State closed the match strong, though, taking seven of the last eight points to secure a 25-18 win in the fourth set.
News and Notes
- Kira Holland became the 13th player in program history to reach 1,000 career kills, accomplishing the feat in the fourth set of Saturday's match.
- Holland became the first Sycamore since 2016 to reach 1,000 career kills, and just the third in program history to do so during the 25-point rally scoring era.
- Hadley Hardersen made her first appearance since Oct. 2 at Belmont, appearing in the last three sets and finishing with 15 assists, four kills and three digs.
- Dylann Loggins made her collegiate debut in the second set of Saturday's match recording a pair of kills on three attempts.
- Indiana State finished with a 9-7 advantage in blocks in Saturday's match, marking the third time in the last four matches that the Trees were tied or ahead in blocks.
- Indiana State's .125 hitting percentage in Saturday's match was its worst since Oct. 2 at Belmont (.121).
- The Sycamores hit above that average in three of the four sets, including a pair of sets over .200, but were weighed down by a negative hitting percentage in the first set.
Up Next
Indiana State heads north to begin a two-match road trip Friday night in the Windy City, with the Sycamores slated to face UIC in a 7 p.m. first serve.
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