Mastodons Survive Against Oral Roberts 3-2

Friday, October 8

Fort Wayne, Ind.

7:00 PM

Purdue Fort Wayne

11-8, 6-2Summit

Oral Roberts

7-8, 5-3Summit

Oral Roberts

IPFW

Maya Schlindwein had a match- and season-high 21 kills against the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles

10/8/2010 9:27:40 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

BOX SCORE | PHOTO GALLERY

Fort Wayne, IN - The IPFW Mastodons improved to 11-8 on the season, and 6-2 in the Summit League, with a thrilling five-set victory over the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles on Friday evening by scores of 14-25, 25-23, 18-25, 25-22, 15-10.

Senior outside hitter Maya Schlindwein pounded down a season-high 21 kills against the Golden Eagles, while adding 14 digs for her seventh double-double of the season. Alli Hook had a team-best six blocks to go with her six kills, while Tessa McGill totaled a match-high 19 digs, despite being moved to outside hitter for sets four and five, where she added three kills on five attempts during that span. Megan Steenhuysen added a double-double with 43 assists and a dozen digs, her 11th double-double this season.

With the win, the Mastodons have now won four straight matches, three of the last five meetings with the Golden Eagles, and two straight for the first time in the nine all-time meetings between the squads.

The Mastodons struck first in the match, before Oral Roberts (7-8, 5-3 Summit League) rattled off four straight points to lead 4-1, a lead they would keep for the remainder of the set. The 'Dons twice got as close as two, the latest at 9-7 before 3-0 and 4-0 runs by the Golden Eagles pushed the visitors to a seven point, 17-10, helping push the squad from Tulsa to a 25-14 first-set win, behind a blistering .520 attack percentage for the set on 13 kills with no errors on 25 attempts.

In the second set, IPFW trailed by six at 15-9 following a 7-0 ORU run, and all momentum seemed to be on the side of the Golden Eagles. The feisty Mastodons responded by running off six straight points, turning a 19-13 deficit into a 19-19 tie, and a subsequent 3-0 run pushed the Mastodons ahead 22-20. Oral Roberts fought back with two straight points to tie the set at 22 apiece, before IPFW scored three of the final four points of the frame to earn a split of the first two sets with a 25-23 score.

The Mastodons scored the first three points of the third set, only to see the Golden Eagles answer back with a 3-0 run of their own to tie the score. ORU proceeded to then score eight of the next ten points to lead 14-7. IPFW would get no closer than four the rest of the way, as Oral Roberts put the Mastodons a set from elimination in the match.

Oral Roberts scored five of the first six points of the fourth set, and led by eight at 12-4, as the visitors looked to run away with the frame. The Mastodons, however, had different ideas, and led by Schlindwein, the Mastodons mounted a comeback, scoring eight of nine points in one stretch to tie the set at 15 apiece.

The Golden Eagles scored three straight to re-take the advantage at 18-15, but a 4-0 IPFW run, proved to be the meat of a 10-4 run to end the set, sending the match into a fifth and deciding set.

Oral Roberts jumped out quickly in the deciding set to lead 3-1 before the Mastodons scored two straight points on back-to-back Schlindwein kills. The teams traded sideouts as the Golden Eagles found themselves ahead 7-6 before kills by Taryn Parker and Steenhuysen pushed IPFW ahead 8-7. After a Tatum Fredeen kill tied the score at eight apiece, Freeden then served the ball out of bounds, and a Schlindwein kill gave IPFW a 10-8 lead that they would not give up for the remainder of the match.

After a Serena Cate kill cut the deficit to one, IPFW scored three straight points to lead 13-9, and after another Golden Eagle kill, the 'Dons scored the final two points of the match on a Steenhuysen kill and a Hook/Schlindwein combo block.

IPFW hit .163 for the match (49 kills, 24 errors, 153 attempts), as ORU hit nearly 80 points higher at a .242 percentage (59 kills, 20 errors, 161 attempts). The Mastodons held a 70-67 advantage in digs, and were out-blocked 13-to-10; however, held a six-point advantage in service errors.

Cate led a trio of Golden Eagles with double-figure kills, while Olivia Ophus had 17 digs to pace the team. Elizabeth McVicker finished a block shy of a double-double with a match-high nine blocks and 13 kills.

The 'Dons return to the court on Saturday, October 9, as they play host to the Ladies of Centenary, who fell in three sets this evening to the Oakland Grizzlies in Rochester. First serve for the match is slated for 7:00 PM.

~Dons~