Scores: VCU 3, Ball State 2 (25-19, 23-25, 15-25, 25-14, 15-13)
Tournament: VCU Invitational
Location: Richmond, Va. (Siegel Center)
Records: VCU 4-7, Ball State 6-7

• Senior Janelle Sykes blasted eight of her career-high 18 kills the final two sets to lift VCU to a 3-2, come-from-behind victory over Ball State Saturday.
• The Rams trailed the Cardinals 2-1 before staging a dramatic comeback.
• VCU hit .409 in the fifth set to clinch the win.
• Classmate Cecilia Aragao directed a VCU offense that hit .227 with 57 assists. She also collected 15 digs, three blocks and two kills.
• Sykes hit .410 in the match and booked five blocks. Junior outside hitter Kalah Jones kicked in 16 kills and eight digs for the Rams.
• On the back row, freshmen Mary Kilbane and Rebekah Strange helped give VCU an 80-73 edge in digs with 22 and 16, respectively.
• Four players registered double-digit kills for VCU.
• The Rams improved to 2-0 on the weekend, including Friday's 3-0 win over East Tennessee State.

• VCU came out swinging in the fifth set tiebreaker. The Rams were efficient, and rode a series of successful attacks by Sykes (3 kills) and Jones (3 kills) on the way to a 14-5 lead. Ball State refused to fold, however, and used an 8-0 burst to pull within 14-13. But on the final play, Aragao tapped a quick set to Sykes, who hammered a kill into an empty spot in the middle of the Cardinals' defense and thwarted the comeback bid.
• The Rams had fallen behind 2-1, but rushed to an early 17-7 advantage in the fourth with the help of three kills each by Sykes and junior Uzoamaka Ibeh. The Cardinals never recovered, and VCU earned a 25-14 equalizer.

• In two matches this weekend, Sykes is averaging 3.25 kills per set, while hitting .471. She has two hitting errors in 51 attempts.