FORT WAYNE, Ind. – After playing nine sets in a six-hour span Friday, nobody would've been surprised if Indiana State showed fatigue in their non-conference finale Saturday afternoon. Instead, the Sycamores were the aggressors from the start in a commanding four-set win over Purdue Fort Wayne (25-21, 26-24, 19-25, 25-16) inside the Gates Sports Center.
The win completed a perfect 3-0 weekend for the Sycamores on their way to winning the Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational. In the process, Indiana State closed its non-conference slate at 6-5 and will enter conference play above .500 for the first time since 2021.
Curry Kendall paced the Sycamore attack with 17 kills and a season-high nine digs on her way to Tournament MVP honors. Kendall was joined on the All-Tournament Team by
Kira Holland and
Avery Hales, the latter of which posted a 26-assist, 11-dig double-double in Saturday's win.
Corinne Knapp added a career-high 13 kills on a season-best .310 hitting percentage for the Blue and White, while
Taylor Knuth and
Ella Scott both added double-digit kills as the Sycamores had four players notch 10-plus kills for a second straight match. Holland registere d a team-high 14 digs, while Knapp and Scott each tallied three aces.
Set 1 | Indiana State 25, Purdue Fort Wayne 21
Indiana State came out roaring with kills from Kendall and Knapp to build an early four-point lead it never relinquished. Scott and Knuth tacked on kills midway through, before a pair of Mastodon errors help the Trees extend their lead to 20-13 late. Purdue Fort Wayne pulled within a pair in the closing stages of the set, but Kendall ended the hosts' hope of a comeback with an ace as the Trees took the first set 25-21.
Set 2 | Indiana State 26, Purdue Fort Wayne 24
After going behind early in the set, Indiana State used a 4-1 run headlined by a solo block from Mueller and an ace from Scott to level the score at 9-9. Purdue Fort Wayne followed with a run of its own and had the Sycamores on the ropes at 16-11, but Indiana State showed resiliency. Scott put down three kills and an ace during a 9-2 run which gave the Sycamores a 20-18 lead, and two more kills from Kendall during a four-point run gave the Trees set point. The home side battled back to tie the set late, but back-to-back kills from Kendall clinched the set for the Sycamores by a 26-24 margin.
Set 3 | Purdue Fort Wayne 25, Indiana State 19
Indiana State claimed five of the first six points in the set and appeared to be heading towards a sweep, but the home side had other ideas. Kills from Scott and Holland kept the Trees in front, but a 6-2 run for the Mastodons leveled the score midway through. Two kills each from Scott and Knuth kept the score tied just past the midway point, but a 6-1 run for Purdue Fort Wayne tilted the score in favor of the Mastodons. Late kills from Knuth and
Lily Mueller weren't enough for the Trees, as the Mastodons extended the match by taking the set 25-19.
Set 4 | Indiana State 25, Purdue Fort Wayne 16
Similar to set three, Indiana State jumped out to an early advantage, claiming the first five points with Kendall notching two kills in the run. This time, there was no comeback from Purdue Fort Wayne, as the Mastodons got no closer than two in the set. Knapp keyed a four-point run for the Blue and White midway through the set with a pair of kills, while Indiana State took full advantage of Purdue Fort Wayne errors to build an 18-13 lead. Back-to-back aces from Knapp had the Trees on the brink of their third straight win, and Knuth finished it off with a kill to give Indiana State the clinching set by a 25-16 margin.
News and Notes
- Indiana State clinched its first undefeated weekend of the season and claimed a tournament title for the third straight season (2024 – Memphis, 2025 – Tennessee State, 2026 – Purdue Fort Wayne).
- Indiana State closed the non-conference slate with a 6-5 record, marking the first time since 2021 that the Sycamores will enter conference play above .500.
- Curry Kendall was named Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational MVP after tallying 53 kills in the Sycamores' three wins. Kendall had at least 17 kills in all three matches.
- Indiana State's .271 hitting percentage was its second-best mark of the season (.285 vs. Northwestern State). The Sycamores have hit above .250 in each of their last two matches (.267 vs. Columbia).
- Corinne Knapp (13) and Taylor Knuth (11) each registered their most kills in a Sycamore uniform in Saturday's win. Knapp's .310 hitting percentage (13-4-29) was her best this season, while Knuth hit a career-best .556 (11-1-18) in the win.
- Indiana State had four players notch double-digit kills (Kendall 17, Knapp 13, Knuth 11, Scott 10) for the second straight match and third time this season (Navy, Columbia).
- Indiana State's first set win was largely due to its efficiency in attack, as the Sycamores hit .520 (15-2-25) in the set. Conversely, the Sycamores' fourth set win was due to defense as Purdue Fort Wayne hit just .073 (9-6-41) in the clincher.
- Indiana State's 11 service errors were its fewest since the opening weekend of the season at Western Michigan.
- Saturday's win was Indiana State's first true road win of the season. Each of Indiana State's six wins this season have come away from home (five neutral site, one away).
Up Next
Indiana State opens Missouri Valley Conference play Friday night when the Sycamores welcome Bradley to ISU Arena for a 6 p.m. first serve. The Sycamores will also play Southern Illinois at home Sept. 26 at 5 p.m. to close out the opening weekend of conference play.
Follow the Sycamores
For the latest information on the Sycamore Volleyball team, make sure to check out
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