Mastodons Clip Eagles' Wings in 3-1 Win

Tuesday, October 5

Ypsilanti, Mich.

7:00 PM

Purdue Fort Wayne

10-8

Eastern Michigan

16-5

IPFW

Eastern Michigan

Tessa McGill had 35 digs for IPFW, tied for the sixth most in a single match in school history

10/5/2010 9:34:44 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

BOX SCORE

Ypsilanti, MI - The IPFW Mastodons improved to 10-8 in 2010 after winning their third straight match, and the fifth straight match over the Eagles of Eastern Michigan University, as the 'Dons took the match in four sets, 27-25, 21-25, 25-19, 26-24.

Tessa McGill picked up her third match of the season with at least 30 digs, with a match-high 35, tied for the sixth most in a match in IPFW volleyball history. Stephanie Lamberti added 16 digs, with Megan Steenhuysen and Jen Milligan chipping in 13 and 12, each. Alli Hook picked up a match-high eight blocks to go along with her eight kills. Lamberti had a dozen kills for most on the team, followed closely by Maya Schlindwein, who had 11. Steenhuysen picked up her 10th double-double of the year by adding 41 assists, as Lamberti had both of the team's service aces in the match.

Eastern Michigan, who is tied for first place in the Mid-American Conference, falls to 16-5 on the season, as the Eagles had defeated Michigan State University, and fell to a strong Clemson squad in back-to-back matches earlier in the year.

The first set, from beginning to end, was a tight back-and-forth battle. The largest lead gathered by either team was four points at 18-14 when the 'Dons took advantage of a bad set by Eagle outside hitter Rachel Iaquaniello. EMU answered directly to that four-point deficit with four consecutive points to re-tie the game at 18 apiece.

The Eagles took a late lead in the opening set at 25-24 after an IPFW bad set, but three straight Mastodon points, all on Eagle attack errors, gave the visitors a 27-25 opening-set win.

The Mastodons found themselves in an early 3-0 hole to start the second set, but quickly fought back to take a two-point, 7-5 lead, capping a 3-0 run of their own. The Mastodons led by one at 15-14 before the host Eagles scored five of the next six points to push ahead by three at 19-16. Trailing 21-18, IPFW rattled off three straight points, with a Lamberti ace coming in the middle of the points, setting the score at 21 apiece. Following an EMU timeout, the hosts scored four straight points to end the set, sending the game into its intermission period tied at one set apiece.

The third set was one of runs for both teams, as after IPFW scored the first two points, the Eagles quickly scored four in a row to jump ahead 4-2. After the teams each traded a pair of 3-0 runs, Eastern Michigan led 13-10, forcing the Mastodons into their first timeout of the set. The host Eagles would keep their lead as late as 15-13, before IPFW rattled off seven consecutive points, including a pair of Hook blocks, and kills from Hook, Steenhuysen, and Lamberti, to give the visitors a 20-15 advantage. EMU would only be able to climb to within three points the rest of the way, as the 'Dons cruised to the 25-19 win.

IPFW never trailed in the fourth and deciding set, as the 'Dons scored six of the first eight points of the frame. The Eagles would claw their way back to tie the set at 14 apiece, before a 4-0 IPFW run put more room into the margin. Eastern Michigan would not be done with their comebacks, however, as a late 3-0 run turned a 24-21 IPFW lead into a 24-24 tie score, but a Schlindwein kill and an Eagle attack error gave the Mastodons their 26th point of the set, and the 26-24 final-set win.

Erin Short had a match-high 13 kills for the Eagles, with Rachel Iaquaniello adding 10. Haley Stein had a team-best 27 digs, with Kristen Baker adding seven blocks for most on the team. Setter Ashley Mason dished out a match-high 44 assists while adding 13 digs and five combo blocks in the losing effort.

The Mastodons return home to the Hilliard Gates Sports Center for a stretch of five consecutive home matches, starting with a key Summit League battle with the Golden Eagles of Oral Roberts University on Friday, October 8, with first-serve slated for 7:00 PM.

~Dons~