TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State volleyball plays its final home matches of the 2026 season Friday and Saturday, as the Sycamores face Valparaiso and Murray State on Senior Weekend.
 
The Sycamores square off with Valpo Friday night for a 6 p.m. first serve inside Hulman Center for Senior Night before facing Murray State Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. inside ISU Arena. Friday's match will also be broadcast on ESPN+, with the team of Chris Machado (play-by-play), Nyah Wilson (analyst) and Kayla Douglas (reporter) on the call.
 
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.
 
Crunch Time
With two weekends left in the regular season, Indiana State still has everything to play for. The Sycamores still have a chance to qualify for the MVC Tournament, though they would need multiple outcomes to go in their favor in order to qualify for the conference tournament for the first time since 2021.
 
Indiana State needs to win each of its last four matches to have a chance at earning the final spot in the tournament field. The Sycamores would also need UIC to lose its last four matches and both Valparaiso and Southern Illinois to go no better than 2-2 over their last four games.
 
Senior Send-Off
Indiana State will recognize its senior class, consisting of middle blockers Ella Scott and Anna Ptacin, defensive specialist/libero Macy Lengacher and right side Taylor Knuth, following the conclusion of Friday's match against Valparaiso.
 
Scott has been a mainstay in the Sycamores' middle blocker rotation over the last four years, as the Plainfield, Indiana, native ranks in the top 10 in program history in hitting percentage, block assists and total blocks. She was also selected to the 2023 MVC All-Freshman Team.
 
Lengacher has started at libero for the Sycamores for the majority of the last four years and will finish her career ranked in the top 15 in program history for career digs. The Wakarusa, Indiana, native enters Friday's match just 11 digs shy of becoming the 12th player in program history to record 1,000 career digs.
 
Knuth has played a significant role for the Sycamores in the 2026 season, ranking as one of the best in the conference from the service line. The Glenview, Illinois, native tied the program single-match rally scoring era record with seven aces against Drake, and has also notched a pair of matches with double-digit kills.
 
Ptacin, who is graduating in three years, has appeared in 13 matches in her career with the Sycamores, with most of those coming during the 2024 season. The Roscoe, Illinois, native has averaged just shy of 0.50 blocks per set for her career.
 
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.
 
Break Out The Brooms
Indiana State played its most efficient match of the season in the first match of the current homestand, hitting a season-best .363 to sweep Evansville. The Sycamores also held the Purple Aces to a .129 hitting percentage, tied for the lowest by an opponent this season.
 
The Sycamores' sweep was their second of the season and the first since the opening weekend of the campaign against Green Bay. It also marked Indiana State's first sweep in conference play since October 21, 2024, also against Evansville at home.
 
This Weekend's Opponents At A Glance
Valparaiso enters the weekend at 12-12 overall and 4-8 in conference play. The Beacons snapped a five-match losing streak in their last match, sweeping Bradley on the road. Ava Helming and Jordyn Gove both average more than three kills per set.
 
Murray State enters the weekend at 5-19 overall and 3-9 in conference play. The Racers have won three of their last five matches, including a sweep of UIC last weekend. Anne Makowski has averaged more than three kills per set, with Paige Brock averaging nearly eight assists per set as the primary setter.
 
Series History vs. This Weekend's Opponents
Indiana State is 18-20 all-time against Valparaiso, though the Sycamores are 9-8 against the Beacons in Terre Haute. The Trees earned a come-from-behind five-set victory over Valpo on the road earlier this season.
 
Indiana State is 3-7 all-time against Murray, with a 1-3 mark against the Racers in Terre Haute. The Sycamores have won the last two meetings, both of which came in five sets in Murray.
 
Up Next
Indiana State heads on the road for its last two matches of the season, starting with a Tuesday night visit to Evansville at 7 p.m. The Trees close the regular season November 14 with a 6 p.m. match at Southern Illinois.

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.