KEVIN JENISON

GoSycamores.com

TERRE HAUTE, Ind.  – The schedule for the 35th season of Indiana State volleyball has been announced by fifth year head coach Traci Dahl. The schedule for the 2012 Sycamore campaign includes three early season tournaments and a road trip to IUPUI before beginning a competitive Missouri Valley Conference campaign.

"Our schedule is getting tougher every year,” Dahl said. “This is a direct reflection on our team and their desire to be better. Our conference teams are all very tough and every match will be a battle. The non-conference schedule this year will challenge our team more than ever and I am looking forward to seeing them compete."

The 2012 version of the Sycamores will begin report to campus on August 7 to begin their preseason workouts. Local fans will be able to see a preview of the 2012 squad when they go up against an Alumni squad at 2 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, Aug. 18, in the ISU Arena.

The Sycamores finished the 2011 campaign with a 14-17 record and reached the MVC post season tournament for the first time since the 2004 season.

Two of the three early season tournaments will be on the road beginning with the DePaul Invitational that begins the regular season August 24-25 in Chicago, Ill. The Sycamores will take on Butler at 5:30 p.m. (ET) on Friday, Aug. 24, to open the 2012 season. That will be followed by back-to-back games on Saturday, Aug, 25, as the Sycamores meet host DePaul at 3 p.m. (ET) and rival Eastern Illinois at 5:30 p.m. (ET).

The second road tournament will be played Sept. 7-8 in Oxford, Ohio, as Indiana State competes in the Miami (Ohio) Tournament. The Sycamores open play against the host RedHawks at 7 p.m. (ET) Friday, Sept. 7. Indiana State will play two games on Saturday, Sept. 8, as they take on Temple at 1 p.m. (ET) and Chicago State at 5 p.m. (ET).

In between will be the Second Annual Jessica Barkman Memorial Classic sponsored by Drury Inn which will be held Sept. 1-2 in the ISU Arena. Joining the Sycamores will be Loyola (Chicago), SIU Edwardsville, and Western Illinois. Indiana State will play twice on Saturday, Sept. 1, as they battle Loyola (Chicago) at 1 p.m. (ET) and come back to take on SIU Edwardsville at 7 p.m. (ET). The Sycamores wrap up the tournament by taking on Western Illinois at 2 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, Sept. 2.

Indiana State's lone regularly scheduled non-conference game will come just before the Barkman Classic as the Sycamores travel to Indianapolis for a game against the IUPUI Jaguars at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 28.

The 2012 Missouri Valley season begins on the road for Indiana State as they visit Southern Illinois on Sept. 14 and Evansville on Sept. 15. The home portion of the conference schedule opens on Sept. 21 when the Bradley Braves come to town followed by defending champion Northern Iowa on Sept. 22 and Illinois State Sept. 28.

The rest of the conference home schedule has Drake visiting Oct. 12, Creighton Oct. 13, Wichita State Nov. 2, Missouri State Nov. 3, Evansville on Nov. 16, and Southern Illinois on Nov. 17. In between are road games at Missouri State (Oct. 5), Wichita State (Oct. 6), Northern Iowa (Oct. 19), Bradley (Oct. 20), Illinois State (Oct. 26), Creighton (Nov. 9), and Drake (Nov. 10).

Indiana State reached the MVC post-season tournament for the first time since 1984 during the 2011 season and is looking for a return visit to the tournament which will be held Nov. 22-24 on the campus of Missouri State University in Springfield, Ohio.

A mixed squad of veterans and newcomers will battle for the Blue and White this year including three seniors in Morgan Dall, Shea Doran, and Christie Fullenkamp. Dall currently ranks 13th in career kills and will become the 11th member of the Sycamore 1,000 kill club with her 67th kill of the 2012 season. She also ranks second in career kills per set (3.50) and 12th in total attacks (2,659), needing just 83 attacks to break into the career top 10. Doran was named to the MVC All-Tournament team a year ago and Fullenkamp was a key contributor in the rotation for Coach Dahl.