Purdue Fort Wayne
PR - Rio Piedras
Men's Volleyball Coops Roosters in Season Opener
1/9/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Volleyball
Jan. 9, 2009
Fort Wayne, IN -- The IPFW Mastodons (1-0, 0-0 MIVA) got the 2009 season rolling Friday night with a 3-2 (30-25, 24-30, 30-23, 26-30, 15-13) thriller of a season opener against the Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Roosters.
Sophomores Ben Duckworth and Darryl Shank led the way offensively for the 'Dons with 16 kills each, both career highs. Duckworth's 16 were on 41 attempts and seven errors while Shank took 45 swings and had 12 errors. Junior Oliver Kook matched his career high in kills with 12 while hitting .292. Freshman Ivan Matos finished with six kills, junior Nathaniel Berg hit a career high five kills, while junior starting setter Corey Stewart tipped in a career high four kills on five attempts. Freshman Phil Peterson also logged his first collegiate kill.
Duckworth led the way behind the service line for IPFW logging a career high nine service aces.
Defensively, the 'Dons were led by junior Matt Pliske with 11 digs.
Stewart began the match at the setter position handing out 29 assists before freshman Dan Mader entered the game in the third set and finished strong with 20 assists.
The Mastodons jumped out to a quick 7-1 advantage in the opening set which was triggered by a kill from Kook. Duckworth then had back-to-back aces. The Roosters knotted the set up at 13. The two teams traded kills before IPFW broke away after a Rooster service error. Duckworth kept the momentum going with three straight aces pushing the score to 18-14. The 'Dons were in the driver seat the rest of set one leading by at least three until Duckworth attacked the game point 30-25.
Set two was much different with 13 ties before the Roosters' Wilfredo Fernandez hit a kill to take the lead at 16-15. Puerto Rico would hit two more kills before serving an error at 18-16. IPFW never got closer than two points the remainder of the set. The Roosters won game two 30-24.
Duckworth went back to work in the third set connecting for four kills and four aces. The 'Dons only trailed at 1-0 and led by as many as 10 at 21-11. IPFW pushed the score to 28-19 before Puerto Rico rattled off three straight points forcing coach Arnie Ball to call a timeout. Shank connected on a kill from Mader and forced game point before the match ended at 30-23.
The fourth set was close much like the second with five ties. The 'Dons took an early advantage at 2-0 with a kill by Shank and a Rooster attack error. Puerto Rico tied it up at two however and made it a close game before finally breaking away at 24-20. Despite IPFW taking the most attack attempts in the fourth frame, the Roosters defense stepped up and prevailed 30-26.
The Roosters' Fernandez nailed the first kill of the fifth and final set. Kook responded to tie the match at one. Next Mader found Peterson who found a gap in the Rooster block for his first career kill. Despite having seven ties, IPFW led 14-11 after three kills from Matos who hit .750 in the set. IPFW then allowed two Rooster points before closing the door at 15-13 with a kill from Duckworth.
Puerto Rico had three players with at least 14 kills. Andres Escalera finished with 14 markers while Fernandez and Rivera totaled 15 apiece. Setter Michael Quinonez tallied 46 assists, seven digs, and three kills, while Jose Hernandez led the Roosters with nine digs.
The Mastodons host Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras again Saturday night. First serve scheduled for 7:00 PM at the Hilliard Gates Sports Center.
~Dons~
