TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State volleyball plays its final non-conference matches of the 2026 season Friday and Saturday, as the Sycamores head north for the Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational.
 
The Trees open the weekend with a Friday doubleheader against a pair of first-time opponents in Stonehill (1 p.m.) and Columbia (4 p.m.), before closing the tournament Saturday at 2 p.m. against Purdue Fort Wayne.
 
Last Time Out
Indiana State played a pair of closely-contested matches to open its 2026 home slate, dropping a pair of matches to Milwaukee inside ISU Arena. The Sycamores were defeated in five sets (25-18, 18-25, 18-25, 27-25, 15-13) in their home opener on Sept. 10 and fell in four sets (25-19, 28-26, 28-26, 25-23) Friday evening to wrap up the homestand.
 
Despite the 0-2 record, Indiana State went toe-to-toe with a Milwaukee team which finished in a tie for third in the Horizon League last season. Five of the six sets that the Sycamores dropped were decided by just two points, while Corinne Knapp (six service aces) and Lily Mueller (10 block assists, 12 total blocks) both recorded top-10 single-match marks in program history during the homestand.
 
First Timers
Indiana State will see a pair of first-time opponents at the Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational, as the Sycamores have never faced Stonehill or Columbia prior to their upcoming matchups.
 
The Sycamores have a 2-1 record against first-time opponents this season, claiming wins over Navy and Northwestern State while falling in five sets against Little Rock.
 
Lockdown
Indiana State's defense has seen a significant uptick in the right direction to begin the 2026 campaign. Despite going just 3-5 through their first eight matches, the Sycamores rank in the top three in the MVC in opponent hitting percentage (third, .206), opponent kills (second, 11.15 per set), opponent assists (second, 10.24 per set) and opponent aces (first, 0.94 per set).
 
For comparison, the Sycamores ranked 10th in the 11-team MVC last season in opponent hitting percentage, opponent kills and opponent assists and seventh in opponent aces. Sycamore opponents this season are averaging nearly three fewer kills and assists per set, while hitting more than 40 percentage points worse than Indiana State opponents in 2025.
 
Block Party
Senior middle blocker Lily Mueller produced her best statistical match in a Sycamore uniform in the back end of Indiana State's two-match homestand against Milwaukee. Mueller tallied 12 total blocks (two solo, 10 assist) in Friday's match against the Panthers, marking the first double-digit block match of her career and becoming the first Sycamore to accomplish the feat since Kylie Newby tallied 12 total blocks (three solo, nine assist) against Valparaiso on Oct. 30, 2021.
 
Mueller's 12-block performance was tied for second for a single match in program history and tied for the most total blocks in a match by a Sycamore during the 25-point rally scoring era.
 
Aced It
Sophomore outside hitter Corinne Knapp produced one of the best matches from the service line by a Sycamore in recent years in the home opener, coming off the bench to finish with six service aces against Milwaukee. Knapp's six aces were the most by a Sycamore since Sept. 1, 2023, when Emma Kaelin tallied seven service aces against Austin Peay.
 
Knapp cracked the top 10 in program history for aces in a single match with her performance against the Panthers, as her six aces in the home opener ranked ninth overall and third in the 25-point rally scoring era for a single match.
 
Milestone Watch
Indiana State has plenty of athletes nearing career milestones following the first three weekends of play this season. Ella Scott is nearing a pair of milestones, as the senior middle blocker sits nine aces shy of 100 for her career and 17 blocks short of 300 for her career. Should she reach it, Scott would become the 10th Sycamore to record 300 blocks in her career.
 
Kira Holland will likely reach 1,000 kills for her career during MVC play, as the Sycamore senior enters the weekend with 872. She would become the 13th player in program history to reach 1,000 kills. Holland isn't the only Sycamore nearing a milestone mark in kills, as Curry Kendall sits 43 shy of 500 for her career.
 
Macy Lengacher is also nearing 1,000 digs for her career, as the senior enters the weekend with 848. Lengacher would become the 12th Sycamore to reach 1,000 career digs.
 
This Weekend's Opponents At A Glance
Stonehill enters the weekend at 3-9 following a 1-2 weekend at the Friar Classic and a midweek loss to Holy Cross. The Skyhawks have wins over New Orleans, Alcorn State and Manhattan. Stonehill's attack is led by Sam Loyd's 3.42 kills per set, with Addy Frye (2.60 kills per set) also providing significant output for the Skyhawks
 
Columbia is off to its best start since 2000, as the Lions enter the weekend at 5-1 with wins over Fairleigh Dickinson, Iona, Lafayette, Mercyhurst and Niagara. The Lions' five-match win streak to start the season was snapped in their last outing against Kent State. Elena Maynulet leads the Lion attack with 2.77 kills per set, while Maria Happ has averaged more than one block per set through the first six matches.
 
Purdue Fort Wayne enters its home tournament with a 4-6 record, with a pair of wins over Evansville to go alongside victories over Rutgers and Western Illinois. Riley Rosneck (4.22 kills per set) and Trinity Rye (3.51 kills per set) headline the attack for the Mastodons, while Beck Barrett averages more than four digs per set for the hosts.
 
Series History vs. This Weekend's Opponents
Indiana State has never faced Stonehill or Columbia prior to Friday's matches against the Skyhawks and Lions.
 
Indiana State is 2-4 against Purdue Fort Wayne, with the last meeting being a three-set loss to the Mastodons at the 2024 Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational. The Sycamores' last win in the series came at the 2018 Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational.
 
Up Next
Indiana State opens Missouri Valley Conference play with a pair of home matches, welcoming Bradley (Sept. 25) and Southern Illinois (Sept. 26) to ISU Arena.

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