Purdue Fort Wayne
UMKC
IPFW Rebounds with Victory over Kangaroos
9/12/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 12, 2009
Kansas City, MO – The IPFW Mastodons rebounded from dropping their 2009 Summit League opener by topping the Kangaroos of UMKC on Saturday evening in four sets, 25-18, 25-21, 21-25, 25-14.
Rebekah Roehm led the team with 15 kills with Maya Schlindwein adding 10 in the winning effort. Roehm picked up the 24th double-double of her career with 10 digs, as freshman setter Megan Steenhuysen also recorded a double-double, the second of her career, with 20 assists and 11 digs.
Senior setter Shannon Reuter added 17 assists, with classmate Jamie Schwartz digging up a team-best 16 UMKC kill attempts. Taryn Parker had five blocks in the match, as the ‘Dons totaled nine combined blocks in the four-set victory.
The opening set was a true knock-down drag-out battle through the first total points that saw the two teams tied at 12 with neither team would lead by more than one during that span. IPFW (5-5, 1-1 Summit League) trailed 12-11 before the ‘Dons ran off four straight points to lead 15-12. The Mastodons kept their foot on the gas pedal the rest of the way, out-scoring the host Kangaroos 14-6 to end the set with a 25-18 victory.
The Mastodons kept the momentum they gained at the end of the first set, and used it to start the second, jumping ahead 13-7 nearly halfway through the frame. UMKC (4-6, 0-2 Summit) responded by scoring three straight points to close the gap to three at 13-10, until five straight IPFW points pushed the visitors into an eight-point, 18-10 advantage. The feisty Kangaroo squad would not back down, and scored seven of the next eight points to close the gap to three once again, at 20-17. A 5-1 IPFW run gave the ‘Dons a five-point cushion, as they were able to hold on for the 25-21 second-set win.
The Kangaroos jumped out quickly in the third set, leading by three at 5-2 following a kill by Elizabeth Beck. IPFW slowly but steadily fought back, using a series of two- and three-point runs to eventually lead by two at 10-8 after back-to-back combo blocks from Roehm and Alli Hook. The Mastodons kept their two-point lead at 12-10; however, the squad would be stuck on a dozen points, as UMKC ran off six of the next seven points to lead 17-13.
IPFW was able to close the gap two one at 22-21 before UMKC ended the set by scoring the final three points to secure a fourth set with the 25-21 Kangaroo set victory.
There was little doubt in the fourth set, as IPFW scored the first four points, jumping ahead 4-0, and led by nine at 18-9 before UMKC scored their first points off of a serve in the set, snapping a 9-for-9 side-out streak for the ‘Dons. The 2-0 UMKC run was quickly forgotten, as the Mastodons scored the next five points to lead 23-11, and coasted the rest of the way for the 25-14 fourth-set win.
Kelsey Knoche knocked down a match-high 17 kills with Elizabeth Beck adding 14. Erin Wellwood dished out 28 assists while leading four Kangaroos in double figure digs with 13, as Jamie Hagerman had nine blocks, which marked a match-high.
The Mastodons return to the court on Tuesday, September 15 when they squad will play host to the Broncos of Western Michigan University, with first-serve set for 7:00 PM at the Hilliard Gates Sports Center.
~Dons~
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