Blaine Kinsey
GoSycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE, Ind.—The Indiana State volleyball team battled tough in both of their matches at the Jessica Barkman Classic, falling 3-1 to Loyola and 3-2 to SIUE.
Game 1
Junior Molly Murphy had 15 kills and nine digs for the Sycamores but it was not enough to give ISU the win as they fell 3-1 to the Ramblers of Loyola Saturday in the Jessica Barkman Classic.
The Sycamores found themselves in an early hole as the Ramblers jumped out to an 11-7 lead. The Sycamore offenes battle back to tie the game at 14-14 of a Rambler service error.
Both teams battled back and forth and the Sycamores eventually took a 24-22 lead at the end of the first set. Despite having two chances at set point, the Ramblers held on and eventually beat the Sycamores 26-24.
The Sycamores responded in the second set winning 25-21 with three straight kills by Murphy and senior Shea Doran.
In the third set the Ramblers got ahead early and the Sycamores could never find their rhythm as they fell to Loyola 25-14.
Again in the fourth set the Sycamores got down early before coming back to tie the game at 7. The Ramblers then scored the next eight points to jump out to a 15-7 lead over the Sycamores. Once again the Sycamores responded as they cut the Rambler lead to 20-16 late in the set.
The Sycamores were not able to get any closer, however, as they dropped the set 25-19 and the match 3-1.
Murphy led the Sycamores with 15 kills while junior Loni Mackinson added 21 assists and freshman Ashlen Buck had 11 digs.
Game 2
In the Sycamores second game of the day they came out firing as they took a 2-0 lead off back-to-back kills by Doran and Murphy. The Sycamores then retook the lead at 6-5 and never looked back as they won the first set in a thriller 25-23 off a kill by Doran.
The Cougars of SIUE came back and won the second set 25-16 over the Sycamores.
The Cougars then jumped out to an 11-7 lead before the Sycamore offense responded and pulled ahead to win the set 25-20 and to take a 2-1 match lead.
In the fourth set the Cougars came out firing and grabbed a 5-0 lead over the Sycamores. Doran stopped the Sycamores bleeding with a kill and back-to-back errors by the Cougars cut the lead to 5-3. Cougars went on to tie the match by winning set four 25-17.
The fifth set came down to the wire as both teams traded points before the Cougars finally pulled ahead at 13-12. The Sycamores could not get a stop and dropped the final set 15-12 and the match 3-2.
Doran led the team with 14 kills while Fullenkamp and Murphy each added 13. Buck also added 18 digs for the Sycamores while Mackinson added 30 assists.
The Sycamores will play their final match of the Jessica Barkman Classic Sunday when they face the Leathernecks of Western Illinois at 2 p.m. in the ISU Arena.
