Purdue Fort Wayne
Eastern Michigan
`Dons Sweep Eastern Michigan 3-0
9/16/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 16, 2008
Ypsilanti, MI – The IPFW Mastodons won back-to-back matches for the first time this season, sweeping the Eagles of Eastern Michigan University 26-24, 25-22, 25-19.
Jessica Miller rebounded from three straight single-digit kill matches with a 13-kill effort tonight, finishing with an attack percentage of .300 (13 kills, 4 errors on 30 attempts). Rebekah Roehm posted her third double-double of the season with 12 kills and 19 digs, while Ashley Dillon (9 kills) and Maya Schlindwein (7 kills) just missed the double-figure kill plateau. Senior setter Jessica Dominiak led the ‘Dons with 24 assists, with Shannon Reuter dishing out 15. Dillon led the squad with three service aces while Kylee Hervey and Schlindwein each had two blocks.
The ‘Dons opened strong in the first set, jumping out to a 5-2 lead to start the contest, and increased their advantage to 9-4 before the Eagles were forced to use their first timeout of the match. The hosts rallied after their timeout, scoring the next three points and seven of the ensuing eight to take a one-point, 11-10 lead. EMU’s lead grew to as many as three at 15-12 before the ‘Dons responded by scoring three consecutive points to knot the contest at 15 apiece. The largest margin either team would muster from the middle point until the end would be two, with each team holding a two-point lead over the remaining half of the set, EMU at 20-18 and IPFW at 23-21 and 26-24, the set final score.
Leading the way for the ‘Dons was Roehm, who had a set-best 11 digs, while adding five kills. Miller added four kills with Dominiak and Reuter dishing out nine and five assists apiece. Schwartz also reached double-figure kills in the set with 10, as the ‘Dons held the Eagles to a .140 attack percentage for the set.
The second set was a back-and-forth battle throughout, with the largest lead for either team being four. IPFW took the first multiple-point lead at 6-4, and led 7-5 before the Eagles scored the next five points to push ahead 10-7. The Eastern Michigan lead grew to four at 12-8 before IPFW clawed back, using four straight points to give the visitors a 16-14 lead. The IPFW advantage remained at two at 17-15 before EMU scored five of the next six points to open a 20-18 advantage. IPFW answered with a 3-0 run of their own to open a one-point advantage before the Eagles made a final push, and took a 22-21 lead. IPFW then scored the final four points of the set to claim the 25-22 second-set win.
Dillon was the second-set leader for the ‘Dons with five kills and a service ace. Roehm and Schlindwein each had four kills, as the team improved its attack percentage from .164 in the first set to .235 in the second. Defensively it was Schwartz who paced the team, picking up six digs, while Miller had a solo block in addition to her three kills.
The ‘Dons carried their late momentum from the second set into the third, as the visitors scored the first six points of the final set, and after an Eagle point, scored the next three to open a 9-1 advantage. The third-set lead grew to as many as 10 at 14-4 and 15-5 before Eastern Michigan scored three straight points to cut the deficit to seven at 15-8. The Mastodon lead shrunk to as few as four at 22-18 before the ‘Dons closed the match on a 3-1 run to win the third and final set 25-19.
Eastern Michigan was led by Victoria Randolph with 11 kills, while Emily Good and Jennifer Swartz chipped in seven. Ashley Mason dished out 21 assists while adding 10 digs for a double-double. Jill Wolosiansky added a team-best 11 digs while Emily Good had five blocks.
The ‘Dons next play host to UMKC and Oakland on September 20 and 21, respectively, in the 2008 home openers for IPFW. The UMKC match is scheduled for 7:00 PM with Oakland coming to the Hilliard Gates Sports Center with a start time of 3:00 PM.
~Dons~
