Purdue Fort Wayne
Butler
Mastodons Rebound with 3-0 Victory
8/28/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 28, 2009
Fort Wayne, IN – The IPFW Mastodons rebounded strongly after dropping their season opener earlier in the day, using a balanced scoring effort to take down the Bulldogs of Butler University in three sets on Friday evening, by scores of 25-20, 30-28, and 25-18.
For the second straight game, Rebekah Roehm led the team in kills, as she totaled 13 in the nightcap to give her 33 over the two games of the day. Maya Schlindwein added 11 kills, with Jen Krumwiede chipping in seven. In her first collegiate start, Megan Steenhuysen dished out a team-best 34 assists, as Jamie Schwartz and Tessa McGill had 12 and 11 digs, respectively.
A big gain for the Mastodons from the first game of the day was in the block, as they totaled 11 in the nightcap, after picking up just four in the opener against Eastern Illinois. Rebekah Roehm led the team with five blocks, with Alli Hook blocking four, and Taryn Parker and Schlindwein each picking up three.
Butler struck first in the opening set, jumping out 1-0 before the Mastodons rallied to score four straight points, the last two on a Roehm and Alli Hook block, and a Schlindwein service ace. Butler fought back, closing to within one at 7-6 before Parker and Schlindwein had back-to-back kills, before Parker and Steenhuysen combined for a block to push the hosts ahead by four at 10-6. Butler climbed back to within a single digit at 13-12 before Roehm took over in the set, recording four consecutive kills to push the Mastodons ahead 17-12.
After a back-and-forth over the next three points, the Mastodons once again put together a run, 3-0 with the last two on kills by Parker and Schlindwein, forcing a Butler timeout with the 'Dons leading 22-14. The tough Butler squad fought back, scoring four consecutive points to close within four at 22-18 and force an IPFW timeout. Three Schlindwein kills over the last five total points in the game secured the set victory for IPFW.
Butler came out firing on all cylinders to open the second set, running off to a 6-1 lead, with IPFW's only point coming from a Hook kill. After regrouping following a timeout, the Mastodons slowly climbed back into the set, using three different 2-0 runs to cut the gap to two at 8-10. After a kill by Butler's Porshia Allen, Hook added a kill and Roehm two more to tie the match at 11.
It was a nip-and-tuck battle from that moment on, as neither team would open a lead larger than three points the rest of the way. IPFW led 24-21 following a Butler service error, before the Bulldogs scored three straight points to knot the match at 24. A Butler service error was answered by a Butler kill. Krumwiede put the 'Dons ahead 26-25 with a monster kill, setting the stage for two straight Butler points, to take the visitors to a 27-26 lead. The teams traded points until they were tied at 28 apiece before Hook and Schlindwein teamed up on a block to put IPFW ahead 29-28, and the game ended when Butler was out of rotation, giving the Mastodons the final point necessary in the 30-28 marathon-second set.
The third set opened as the second one ended, as a hard-fought, grind-it-out battle, as there were nine tie scores and four lead changes in the frame. The latest tie score in the match came at 11-11 following a block by Butler’s Maureen Bamiro and Jessica Wolfe. IPFW followed that tie score by winning six of the next seven points to push ahead by five at 17-12, and kept the lead the rest of the way, securing the squad’s first victory of the season with a Krumwiede thunderous kill.
Schlindwein led the team with a game-high two service aces, while Steenhuysen dug up nine kill attempts, and Roehm and Schlindwein each added seven. Hook, a sophomore, had her best match as a collegian, setting career highs in kills, attempts, solo blocks and total blocks, while earning the first start of her career, while also tipping numerous other kill attempts, helping add to IPFW's high dig total.
Butler was led by Wolfe, who had 10 kills, with Allen narrowly missing double figures with nine. Brittany Awai and Katie Daprile each had double-figure digs with 13 and 12, respectively, as Gina Vera dished out 37 assists. Leading the Bulldogs in blocks was Bamiro, who had five, to tie for most in the game, with Wolfe adding four.
The Mastodons take back to the hardwood tomorrow, as they round out the IPFW Invitational with matches against Kent State at 12:30 PM and Drake at 7:00 PM at the Hilliard Gates Sports Center.
~Dons~
