WC Indiana News

Keller notches 500th career kill, Hamilton earns All-Tournament Team honors on final day of WMU Tournament

Kaitlyn Hamilton had double-digit kills in both ends of a Saturday doubleheader for Indiana State, but it wasn't enough for the Sycamores in losses to Wright State (22-25, 25-16, 25-20, 25-18) and Western Michigan (25-20, 25-12, 25-20) inside University Arena.

 

Hamilton earned All-Tournament Team honors for the WMU Tournament after registering 33 kills across three matches. She had double-digit kills in all three contests for the Sycamores, with 23 of her 33 kills over the course of the weekend coming in the Saturday doubleheader.

 

Mallory Keller added 15 kills in the two matches, while Melina Tedrow had 29 digs. Jazzlyn Ford and Emma Kaelin split the setting duties fairly evenly, with Kaelin having 28 assists and Ford registering 27. Storm Suhre had six blocks, including five against Western Michigan, while Jamie Brown added five blocks on the day.

 

Wright State 3, Indiana State 1

Indiana State jumped out to an early advantage with a balanced attack, as its first five kills were recorded by four different players. The Sycamores also took advantage of eight Wright State attack errors in the set, most of those coming in the early stages. Wright State came back to take a late one-point lead, but a 4-0 Sycamore run propelled by a pair of Hamilton kills put the Trees in front for good in the set. Hamilton's sixth kill of the set sealed a 25-22 win in the opening frame for the Sycamores.

 

The Sycamores used a 6-0 run to take a 10-7 lead in the second set after the teams traded points early. Taylor Shelton had a pair of kills for the Sycamores during the prolonged scoring run. Indiana State's lead increased to four points, 14-10, following a Storm Suhre kill but Wright State came roaring back. The Raiders closed the set on a 15-2 run to even the match at one set apiece.

 

Mallory Keller got involved in the action early in the third set with two kills in a five-point span to give the Trees an early lead. The Sycamores maintained a slim two-point lead following a block solo by Suhre and a kill by Shelton, but Wright State battled back to take the lead, 16-11. A 5-1 Sycamore run aided by four Wright State errors cut Indiana State's deficit to one, 17-16, but that was as close as Indiana State got. Suhre and Jazzlyn Ford combined on a block to make it 20-19 but Wright State closed on a 5-1 run to take the set, 25-20.

 

Kills by Keller and Jamie Brown helped give Indiana State an early 5-2 lead in the fourth set, but a 7-1 Raider scoring run put Wright State ahead. Keller's ninth kill of the match followed by a WSU error helped cut the Sycamore deficit to two, 14-12, but Wright State followed with a 6-1 run to take control of the set. Despite late kills from Brown, Hamilton and Suhre, the Raiders held on to win the set, 25-20, clinching the match in the process.

 

Western Michigan 3, Indiana State 0

Western Michigan jumped out to an early lead, but the Sycamores remained within striking distance throughout the first half of the set. Suhre had a pair of early kills to keep the Trees within two, but a three-point Bronco run saw WMU go ahead by six, 15-9, at the media timeout. Indiana State used a late 4-1 run, which included a Hamilton kill, to cut the deficit to three but Western Michigan held on to take the opening set 25-20.

 

After trading points early in the second set, Western Michigan went on a 10-1 run and never looked back. Hamilton had three kills in the set, while Keller and Karinna Gall added two kills each, but Indiana State never got in a rhythm from an attacking standpoint and dropped the second set, 25-12.

 

Western Michigan carried its momentum into the third set, racing out to an 8-2 lead before a Keller kill and a block assist by Keller and Brown ended the run. The Broncos continued to pile up the points, though, and led by as many as 10 in the set before the Sycamores made a late rally. Trailing 20-10, Indiana State went on a 6-0 run with kills by Keller, Brown and Hamilton helping lead the charge, along with a service ace by Emma Kaelin. Indiana State got within three following kills by Suhre and Hamilton, but the Broncos withstood the late Sycamore rally to clinch the match with a 25-20 set win.

 

Inside the Numbers

• Indiana State's .223 hitting percentage against Wright State was its best of the season, while the 45 kills against the Raiders were its second-most in a match in 2022.
• As a team, the Sycamores had 12 blocks across the two matches Saturday. Seven of those came against Wright State.
• Kaitlyn Hamilton's 12 kills against Wright State were the most by a Sycamore in a match this season.

 

News and Notes

• Mallory Keller notched her 500th career kill against Western Michigan.
• Melina Tedrow recorded double-digit digs in both matches Saturday and sits 49 digs away from Kristy Cox's school record.
• Asia Povlin made her season debut in the third set against Western Michigan.

Original source can be found here.