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Purdue Fort Wayne
Pacific
Mastodons Hold Off Pacific Tigers
3/7/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Volleyball
March 7, 2009
Fort Wayne, IN – The IPFW men’s volleyball team (9-5) needed four games to hold off the aggressive Tigers of the University of Pacific (2-18) Saturday night, but the ‘Dons prevailed winning 3-1 (33-31, 30-24, 22-30, 30-23).
Pacific finished with a .241 hitting percentage, narrowing out IPFW’s .165. The ‘Dons were led by sophomore outside Darryl Shank who recorded 22 kills (22-8-43). Junior middle Oliver Kook added 12 in the effort (12-3-20). Freshman outside Phil Peterson contributed 11 kills while sophomore Ben Duckworth added seven.
Setter Dan Mader led the offense for IPFW with a match and career high 50 assists. Fifth year senior Mike Morici started the match and logged a season high 13 digs. Duckworth contributed 11 digs, but it was Kook’s 10 blocks (a career high) that set the tone for the Mastodon defense.
IPFW jumped out to an early four point lead in the first set at 6-2, but Pacific rolled right back knotting things at 9-9. The ‘Dons responded with three straight kills from Shank to open up a 14-10 lead. The two squads battled back and forth until the Tigers took the lead at 25-24 late in the frame leading IPFW coach Arnie Ball to use a timeout. IPFW found itself in a hole after UP’s Sean Daley notched two consecutive kills pushing the lead to 27-25. IPFW tied things at 28-28 and again at 31-31 after a Shank kill. Mader pushed a set to Shank for the set point also, 33-31.
In the second set, Duckworth recorded three of his match high four service aces and IPFW went on a 6-0 run in the middle of the set that the Tigers never recovered from. IPFW held the lead at the second Pacific timeout at 23-18 before the Tigers closed the gap to 23-21 with two kills and a Mastodon attack error. IPFW prevailed however and Peterson logged the last IPFW kills giving the ‘Dons game two 30-24.
Game three began with the ‘Dons fighting from behind, but a 6-0 run midway through gave IPFW its largest lead of the set at 14-11. Pacific would not got away easily however as it went on a 7-0 run to lead at 20-16. IPFW never got closer than four the rest of the game falling 22-30.
Shank hit 10 kills and Mader had 17 assists in the fourth and deciding set. IPFW and Pacific stayed close until IPFW used a 3-0 run which included a Duckworth kill and an ace from Peterson to gain some separation. Mader connected with Peterson for a kill and then Mader got himself a kill before Pacific burned its first timeout of the set with IPFW leading 16-10. The ‘Dons never let Pacific get within four the remainder of the way. IPFW resisted one final Pacific 4-0 run, and Shank recorded IPFW’s final three kills as the ‘Dons won game four 30-23.
Pacific’s Jeff Hendershot logged a match-high 28 points with 24 kills. The Tigers’ Daley had a double-double with 10 kills and 10 blocks.
IPFW next leaves Fort Wayne for the sunny Long Beach State University tournament in Long Beach, CA where it will play Long Beach State Friday, March 13 at 10:00 PM, and BYU Saturday, March 14 at 8:00 PM. Both times ET.
~Dons~
