MEMPHIS, TENN. ? The Indiana State volleyball team had trouble getting started but fought back from an 0-2 deficit to win the final three sets and defeat the Troy Trojans 3-2 in the first match of the Tiger Invitational today (Friday).
“This was a pretty good win for us,” Traci Dahl, Indiana State head volleyball coach said. “After losing the first two sets, I just told them that they really need to get their act together and play like they are capable of. I guess they got the message.”
It is the third time this season that the Sycamores have won a five-set match but the first time that they have been down 0-2 and come back to win. Indiana State defeated Lipscomb and Western Illinois by 3-2 margins at the Morehead State Tournament last weekend.
The Sycamores lost the first two sets 22-25 and 18-25 but fought back to take the third set 25-17. Indiana State kept the momentum in the fourth set to even the match with a 25-20 victory and then dominated the fifth set for a 15-7 win to claim the match.
Junior Kelli Whitaker had 17 kills and a.277 hitting percentage in the match to pace the Sycamores to the victory. Junior Whitney Fromm had 52 assists and 11 digs while junior Jodi Stoker had 16 kills and junior Sarah Agnich had 10 kills. Senior Kristy Cox had 21 digs and six service aces in the match.
The Sycamores, 4-2 on the season, will be back in action at 5:30 p.m. (ET) today as they take on Iona College. Indiana State will play two more tomorrow, taking on the Memphis Tigers at 12:30 p.m. (ET) and wrapping up play against the IUPUI Jaguars at 5:30 p.m. (ET).
Indiana State trailed early in the first set but fought back to knot the score at 11 off a Whitaker kill. A Fromm service ace and kills by Kristin Hunt and Stephanie Volden pushed the ISU lead to 14-11. Troy came back with five straight points but the Sycamores rallied to tie the match again at 17. The Trojans took over after that and went on to a 25-22 win.
The second set was not much different as the Sycamores trailed throughout most of the set. A Cox service ace did tie the match at 15 but the Trojans regained control and cruised to a 25-18 win and take a 2-0 lead in the match.
It was a different Indiana State team that came back onto the court after the break. The Sycamores trailed early in the set but fought back to tie the score at six. The set was tied again at seven before a Whitaker kill gave ISU the lead for good at 8-7. The set was still close at 14-13 when the Sycamores scored seven of the next eight points to take a commanding 21-14 lead, going on to post a 25-17 victory.
In the fourth set, Indiana State trailed 18-15 midway through the set but a Stoker kill got the Sycamores going again. Another kill by Stoker and one from Agnich helped push the Indiana State lead to 23-18. Troy rallied with two straight points but the Sycamores were able to stop the Trojans and even the match with a 25-20 win.
The Sycamores dominated the fifth set enroute to the match victory. Kills by Whitaker Stephanie Kerscher and Volden put ISU up 3-0 and the Sycamores never looked back. Troy did rally to get as close as 8-6 but kills by Agnich, Alisha Polite, Whitaker, Volden and Stoker denied the Trojans any chance at coming back as the Sycamores won the set 15-8, and the match 3-2.
