DES MOINES, IOWA - The Drake University volleyball team used a pair of double-doubles from Kyla Inderski (Urbandale, Iowa) and Grace Schofield (Mundelein, Ill.) to defeat visiting Indiana State, 3-1, Friday evening. The Bulldogs prevailed by set scores of 25-17, 25-18, 13-25 and 26-24. 

“This was a big game and a big win,” said Drake head coach Darrin McBroom. "They [Indiana State] were one match behind us in the standings and now we have a better control of our destiny and staying in the hunt for the MVC Tournament."

The Bulldogs (14-15, 5-7 MVC) were led by 15 kills Schofield, who also had 15 digs. Inderski added 11 kills and 15 digs while Makena Schoene (Seattle, Wash.) had 12 kills and seven blocks on a night that saw Drake hold an 11-5 advantage in blocks.

“We felt like our blocking hadn't been strong lately,” McBroom said. “[Assistant] Coach Leslie Flores-Cloud spent a lot of time with our team this week focusing on blocking and that really paid off tonight.”

Katie Dulek (Lenexa, Kan.) led all Bulldogs in blocks with eight. Cassandra Willis paced Indiana State (14-13, 3-9 MVC) with 10 kills in the loss while Bree Spangler had 18 digs.

Drake took an early lead in the first set and never trailed as a pair of 3-0 runs allowed the team to build up a 15-8 lead to cruise to a 25-17 win behind .250 hitting.

The Bulldogs trailed early during the second set, but a 7-1 run gave the team a 13-10 lead that it would not surrender in winning, 25-18, thanks to .385 hitting.

However, that momentum slipped in the third set as the Sycamores took an early 13-4 lead to take the set, 25-13. The Bulldogs committed 10 attack errors in the set to give the Sycamores new life.

“When things are going well, there's a natural tendency to relax,” McBroom said. "It's a creeping sensation that we relaxed just enough in the third set to let them back into the game. We didn't come out crisp in the third and the key to our success has been outworking, outhustling and outlasting opponents.”

Drake found those keys to success in the fourth and final set despite an early deficit in a set that featured 10 ties and four lead changes. Drake faced an 18-13 deficit and didn't take the lead until a Sycamore error made the score 24-23 after three ties in the previous five points. From there, each team advanced, point by point, until the Bulldogs gained a two-point, 26-24, advantage on a kill from Inderski and the final point on an attack error by the Sycamores. 

The Bulldogs continue their two-game homestand on Saturday, Oct. 31, against Illinois State at 7 p.m. in the Knapp Center. Fans are encouraged to attend in their Halloween costumes and those that do will receive free admission as well as pregame treats. The game can also be viewed on The Valley On ESPN3. 

Illinois State travels to Drake with a 17-8 overall record and a 7-5 conference record after falling, 3-1, at UNI on Friday evening.

"We've got to be crisp on our side of the court,” McBroom said of Saturday's match. “They're [Illinois State] a big team and we have to deal with a large block, find a way to score points and find a way to slow down their offense.”