BOX SCORE

NORMAL, IL - The No. 5-seeded Indiana State Sycamores advanced to the 2017 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament semifinals with a 3-0 sweep of the No. 4-seeded Drake Bulldogs on Thursday in Redbird Arena

Indiana State (11-21 overall) won by set scores of 25-23, 30-28, 25-19. Drake falls to 23-10 overall.  The win was the program’s first win on the court in an MVC Tournament.  The only previous tournament win was a forfeit victory over UNI in 1982.

"It means so much because these kids have been through so much," first-year head coach Lindsay Allman said of her team. "They have endured so much adversity year after year and for them to come back and experience this is huge. I am just so happy for these seniors and how they fought."

Drake had won both regular season matchups with Indiana State. The Bulldogs appeared to be in control early in the contest as Drake held a 6-1 lead in the opening set. But the Sycamores stormed back and scored a 25-23 win in the opening set. Indiana State recorded a .275 hitting percentage in the opening set.

The two teams battled in the pivital second set as Indiana State finally pulled out a 30-28 win. The fifth-seeded Sycamores closed out the match with a 25-19 victory in the third set.

Laura Gross led the Sycamores with her 21st double-double, posting a team-high 11 kills and 15 digs.  Freshman Nikkie White added 10 more kills, hitting a .320, with eight digs.

Drake was led by Odessa Cody and Cathryn Cheek, who tallied 11 and 10 kills against the Sycamores.

Indiana State will take on top-seeded Missouri State in the semifinals Friday at 5 p.m. in Redbird Arena.