Purdue Fort Wayne
Alcorn State
IPFW Topples Alcorn State in Three
9/13/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 13, 2008
Springfield, MO – The IPFW Mastodons came back less than ten hours after falling in three sets to Missouri State University to dominate the Braves of Alcorn State University in three, 25-7, 25-8, 25-9.
Taryn Parker led the way for the ‘Dons with eight kills, with Mayara Schlindwein adding six in the winning effort. Setters Shannon Reuter and Jessica Dominiak had 16 and 12 assists, apiece. Six different ‘Dons served up a team total of 12 service aces, the third most in a three-set match in IPFW history, with Parker and Christine Simon being the primary catalysts with a trio apiece. Simon pulled up a team-best nine digs, with Stephanie Lamberti adding seven. Parker led the blocking attack with four blocks, three assisted, as Kylee Hervey and Schlindwein each had a trio.
The dozen service aces are the third highest single-match total for IPFW since 2001, trailing only the 17 they had against Alcorn State in 2003, and the 13 against St. Francis (PA) in September of 2001.
The ‘Dons held Alcorn State to an attack percentage of -.200, the lowest for an IPFW opponent since college volleyball made the move to rally scoring in 2001; topping the previous record for opponent futility set last year when Ball State had a -.127 attack percentage in the Hilliard Gates Sports Center. That statistic is a polar opposite of the Missouri State result of last night which saw the Bears hit .456, an IPFW record high for an opponent since 2001.
The opening set saw a trio of runs by the Mastodons that set the tone for a dominating 25-7 victory. Trailing 4-3 through the first seven points of the set, IPFW scored four straight with Shannon Reuter serving, pushing ahead to a 7-4 lead. After Alcorn State ended the first run, the ‘Dons again ran off a series of points, rattling off five straight, two of those coming from Rebekah Roehm service aces, giving IPFW a commanding 12-5 lead. Another point by the Braves cut the IPFW lead to 12-6 before Christine Simon served up 11 consecutive points, two coming on service aces, pushing the ‘Dons ahead at 24-6 with IPFW cruising to the 25-7 first-set win.
Ashley Dillon led the ‘Dons with four kills in the opening set, with Reuter dishing out six assists. Roehm pulled up five digs, with Roehm adding four. Roehm and Simon each had a pair of service aces, with Taryn Parker teaming up for two block assists.
The ‘Dons wasted no time in asserting their dominance in the second set, scoring the first five points behind a service ace from Jessica Dominiak and a pair of Brave attack errors. After Alcorn State cut the deficit to four at 8-4, IPFW opened yet another run with Reuter serving, this one 12-0; highlighted by a trio of kills from Mayara Schlindwein and a service ace by Reuter, as the ‘Dons once again cruised to a lopsided set victory, this one at 25-8.
Schlindwein had a team-best three kills in the set, with Parker and Kylee Hervey each adding a pair. Reuter dished out five assists, as Stephanie Lamberti pulled up a team-best three digs. Hervey had a pair of blocks in the second frame to pace the team.
Alcorn State led briefly in the third set at 1-0 before the ‘Dons scored six of the next eight points to pull ahead 6-3. After the Braves closed to within two at 8-6, IPFW scored six consecutive points to push ahead to a 14-6 lead. An Alcorn State point ended the run, but started another, this one of a 7-0 variety, pushing IPFW to a 21-7 lead as IPFW completed the three-set sweep with a 25-9 victory.
As a team, Alcorn State totaled just eight kills, and had 22 attack errors on 70 attempts. Valencia Wise assisted half of the team’s kills, while Erica Pratcher led the team with six digs.
The victory caps the Mastodons’ regular season tournament schedule, as the team takes to the road for a trip north to Ypsilanti, Michigan, to take on the Eagles of Eastern Michigan University starting at 7:00 PM on September 16.
