TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State volleyball continues its four-match homestand Friday night when it faces Northern Iowa for a 6 p.m. first serve inside ISU Arena, with the match between the Sycamores and Panthers also airing on ESPN+.
 
Friday's match is Volloween, with all fans encouraged to come dressed in costumes. A costume contest will take place between the second and third sets, with the winner receiving a $50 gift card for The Terminal, Copper Bar, Ladybird Café or Charlie's. In addition, the Sycamores are offering $1 beers at the match while supplies last.
 
Last Time Out
Indiana State picked up its second consecutive win over an in-state foe Tuesday evening, dispatching of visiting Evansville in three sets (25-16, 25-17, 25-23) inside ISU Arena.
 
The Sycamores' sweep was their first home win of the season, and also gave head coach Ted Kopacz his first home win at the helm of the program. Indiana State also snapped a two-match losing streak to Evansville in the process.
 
Kira Holland led the Sycamore attack with nine kills and eight digs, while both middle blockers went error-free on the evening as Lily Mueller added nine kills and Ella Scott tacked on seven. Scott added five blocks for the Blue and White, while Macy Lengacher led all players with 13 digs. Hadley Hardersen dished out 31 assists in the win.
 
Break Out The Brooms
Indiana State's second straight conference win over an in-state foe also featured the Sycamores' second sweep of the season, as the Blue and White downed Evansville in three sets. The Sycamores hit a season-best .363 while shutting down the Purple Aces, limiting the visitors to a .129 hitting percentage across the match.
 
The Sycamores' sweep was their first over a conference foe since October 21, 2024, which also came in a home win over Evansville. The back-to-back wins were Indiana State's first in conference play since September 27 and October 3, 2025 wins over Belmont and Southern Illinois.
 
Milestone Watch
Indiana State senior defensive specialist/libero Macy Lengacher is nearing program history, as the Wakarusa, Indiana, native enters Friday's match 18 digs shy of reaching 1,000 for her career.
 
Should she accomplish the feat, Lengacher would become the 12th player in program history to record 1,000 career digs and the first to reach the milestone mark since the 2020-21 season. Lengacher's numbers have seen a significant uptick in conference play, as the Sycamore senior ranks in the top 15 in the MVC at 3.12 digs per set against Valley foes.
 
Down The Middle
Indiana State's middle blockers combined to have their most efficient night of the season from an attacking standpoint in the Sycamores' last match against Evansville. The duo of Ella Scott and Lily Mueller went error-free on the evening and hit a combined .667 to lead the Blue and White to a sweep of the Purple Aces.
 
Scott tallied seven kills on nine attempts for a .778 hitting percentage, while also adding a match-high five blocks. Mueller matched her season high of nine kills while hitting .600 on 15 attempts.
 
Killing It
Indiana State's attack has been effective all season, with the Sycamores ranking among the best in the nation in kills, assists and attempts.
 
The Trees lead the Missouri Valley Conference in total kills (1,144), assists (1,073) and attacks (3,181), ranking in the top 30 nationally in all three statistics. Indiana State also owns a top-60 national ranking with 139 service aces.
 
Long Haul
Indiana State is no stranger to going the distance in 2026, with the Sycamores already playing in seven five-set matches this season. The Trees have fared well in those five-setters, going 5-2 in matches that have required the winner-take-all set, with Indiana State's five five-set wins this season tied with Drake for the most in the Missouri Valley Conference.
 
The Sycamores have become accustomed to comeback wins in five sets this season, with four of their five five-set wins coming after facing a 2-1 deficit. Indiana State is also nearing its 2013 program record for five-set matches in a season during the rally scoring era, when the Trees played in 10 five-setters.
 
Northern Iowa At A Glance
Northern Iowa enters the weekend at 16-5 overall and a perfect 10-0 in conference play. The Panthers have dropped just one set since the start of conference play and have won 70 straight matches (regular season and postseason) against Valley foes, the longest active conference win streak in the NCAA.
 
Cassidy Hartman and Lily Dykstra both average more than four kills per set for the Panthers, with Reese Booth dishing out more than 10 assists per set. Jadyn Petersen averages nearly five digs per set, with Grace Hannam and Maryn Bixby both recording more than one block per set.
 
Series History vs. Northern Iowa
Northern Iowa leads the all-time series 72-6 and has won the last six meetings in the series. Indiana State's last win over the Panthers came in the 2021 season, when the Sycamores claimed a five-set victory in Terre Haute.
 
Up Next
Indiana State remains at home for matches November 6-7 against Valparaiso and Murray State. The Sycamores face Valparaiso for Senior Night November 6 inside Hulman Center, while squaring off with Murray State November 7 at 1 p.m. inside ISU Arena.

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.