Sycamores show fight in road setback in Illinois

NORMAL, Illustrated – Emma Kaelin led Indiana State with 12 kills on Friday night, but home champion Illinois State defeated the Sycamores in three sets (25-18, 25-15, 25-22) at CEFCU Arena.

Lily Müller added five kills for a .417 batting average while Kira Holland had a team-leading five kills and nine digs in her 2024 season debut. Ella Scott led all players with four blocks Hannah Baudin And Emily Weber add three blocks each.

Illinois State took an early lead in the first set but killed Curry KendallKaelin and Holland brought the Sycamores back to level at 7-7. Avery Hales added an ace and Kaelin added another kill midway through the game as the Trees kept pace with the Redbirds, but a 9-0 Illinois State run made the difference. Indiana State fended off five set points Cadence Gilleys Serve with two service aces and two block assists from Scott and Weber. However, the Sycamores couldn’t quite make up for their big deficit and lost the first set 25:18.

Kaelin got the Sycamores going with three kills in the second set, but an 8-1 run by the Redbirds left Indiana State trailing 14-7 midway through the game. Holland, Jadyn Smith and Kaelin added kills, but the home team maintained control of their big lead and extended it to double figures late. Indiana State fended off two set points before ultimately falling 25-15 in the second set.

Mueller got Indiana State going in the third set with a kill and a block solo, while Weber added a kill to keep the Trees tied with Illinois State. Kills from Mueller and Kaelin helped Indiana State take an 11-10 lead on a four-point run, with two blocks for the Sycamores keeping the Blue and White on par with the host Redbirds. Holland and Kaelin scored several kills to make the score 16-1, but a late run by the home team changed the momentum in the set. Late kills from Holland and Mueller pulled the Trees within a pair, but Illinois State held on, winning the third set 25-22 and clinching the match.

News and notes

• 2023 MVC Newcomer of the Year Kira Holland made her season debut on Friday after missing the first 16 games due to an injury sustained in the Sycamores’ appearance at Ball State in August. Holland led Indiana State with nine digs and added five kills.
• Emma Kaelin were responsible for more than 40 percent of the kills in the state of Indiana on Friday, finishing with 12 kills in 39 attempts
• Friday’s game was the first time Emily Weber returned to Illinois State before the 2024 season after moving from the Redbirds to the Sycamores. Weber finished the game with 14 assists and three blocks as part of the Trees’ two-set rotation.
• Indiana State’s attack numbers improved from set to set, peaking with 11 kills and a .205 hitting percentage in the third set.
• Indiana State finished the game with more blocks than Illinois State (8-5), with five different Sycamores registering multiple blocks in Friday’s game.

Next

Indiana State ends its four-game road trip on Saturday against Bradley at 6 p.m.

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