TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State gave four-time defending MVC Champion Northern Iowa its toughest test of the 2026 conference slate Friday night inside ISU Arena, but the visiting Panthers ultimately prevailed over the Sycamores in four sets (25-9, 21-25, 25-22, 25-19).
Iowa native
Hadley Hardersen led the Sycamores with 13 kills and 21 assists while hitting .455 for the match, as the sophomore setter also finished three digs shy of a triple-double.
Curry Kendall tallied a team-high 14 kills while hitting .444, while
Kira Holland tacked on eight kills and eight digs..
Set 1 | Northern Iowa 25, Indiana State 9
The visitors jumped out to an early lead, but kills from
Taylor Knuth and
Lily Mueller pulled the Trees within a point at 5-4. A 9-0 run for the Panthers followed, though, as UNI's lead pushed into double-digits. A kill from Kendall and an ace from Lengacher gave the Trees positive signs, but Northern Iowa closed on a 9-1 run to take the first set 25-9.
Set 2 | Indiana State 25, Northern Iowa 21
Northern Iowa continued its momentum from the first set, jumping out to a 9-4 lead in the second. Unlike the opening set, the Sycamores came roaring back. Kills from Holland and Kendall, along with an ace from
Corinne Knapp, kept the Trees within range midway through the set, and the Sycamores made their run down the stretch. Two kills from Holland and another from Mueller pulled the Trees within a point, and Hardersen later put the Sycamores in front with an ace. Kills from
Ella Scott and Knapp put the Trees on the brink of a set win, and a UNI error closed out a 9-1 Sycamore run to give Indiana State a 25-21 set two win.
Set 3 | Northern Iowa 25, Indiana State 22
Indiana State showed it wasn't going away early in the third, with Scott and Kendall teaming up for a block and Kendall and Hardersen putting down kills to level the set at 9-all. Northern Iowa went on a run to take a four-point lead, but the Sycamores followed suit with a run of their own. An ace from Knapp, along with a kill from Kendall and a block assist from Scott and Knapp, helped the Trees go in front 16-15, and the Sycamores remained on level terms with the Panthers following a Mueller kill. UNI went on another run to break through, though, and claimed a 25-22 win in the third despite late kills from Kendall and Hardersen.
Set 4 | Northern Iowa 25, Indiana State 19
Two early kills from Hardersen had the Sycamores on the right foot to start the fourth set, with Kendall tacking on a pair of kills to keep things knotted up. Hardersen and Kendall kept things going with kills to keep the Sycamores on level footing midway through the set, but the Panthers finally pulled away late. Hardersen put down another kill late in the set, but Northern Iowa won seven of the last 10 points to clinch a 25-19 fourth set win, fending off a valiant Sycamore effort.
News and Notes
- Indiana State became just the second MVC team to win a set against Northern Iowa this season by taking the second set in Friday's match.
- Prior to Friday, the Sycamores' last set won against Northern Iowa came on November 3, 2023 in Cedar Falls.
- Hadley Hardersen's 13 kills in Friday's match were her most in a conference match in her career, while her .455 hitting percentage was her best this season.
- Indiana State continued its strong trend from the service line, finishing with five aces against a Northern Iowa team that allows less than one ace per set this season.
- The Sycamores' five aces in Friday's match are tied for the most against Northern Iowa in a conference match this season.
- Indiana State's .161 hitting percentage is the best against Northern Iowa among any MVC team this season, with the Sycamores being the only team to hit above .130 against the Panthers.
- Macy Lengacher tallied seven digs in Friday's match, giving her 989 for her career. The senior defensive specialist sits 11 away from becoming the 12th player in program history to reach 1,000 career digs.
- Kira Holland registered eight kills in Friday's match, as the senior outside hitter moved into a tie for eighth in program history with 1,046 career kills. Holland passed Kristin Widmar (2001-04, 1,039 kills) on the all-time list and is now tied with Stacy Stanton (1991-94, 1,046 kills).
Up Next
Indiana State remains at home for its next two matches, starting with its November 6 Senior Night match against Valparaiso at 6 p.m. inside Hulman Center.
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