Spencer's Big Night Pushes IPFW past Eagles

Tuesday, October 4

Fort Wayne, Ind.

7:00 PM

Purdue Fort Wayne

11-6

Eastern Michigan

13-6

Eastern Michigan

IPFW

Photo by: Lucas Carter

10/4/2011 9:39:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

BOX SCORE | PHOTO GALLERY

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Behind a career-high 29 kills from freshman Emily Spencer, the IPFW Mastodons out-lasted the Eagles of Eastern Michigan University in five sets, 25-18, 25-16, 23-25, 23-25, 15-11 at the Gates Sports Center on Tuesday evening.

The win improves IPFW to 11-6 overall, and gives the Mastodons a 7-6 advantage in the all-time series between the two teams, including winning the last six meetings, and seven of the last eight.

Spencer's 29 kills passed her previous career-high of 21, and are tied for the fourth most in a five-set match in program history. Jessie Manwaring added 13 kills while hitting .400 (13 kills, 1 error, 30 attempts) for the match, while Megan Steenhuysen dished out a career-best 64 assists.

Tessa McGill tied her season-high with 32 digs, the seventh 30+ dig effort of her career, and the second this season, as three others, Kendall Wienkes (13), Steenhuysen (12), and Jen Milligan (12) eclipsed the double-figure mark in the category. Alli Hook had a team-best six blocks for the Mastodons in the win.

Spencer's total was hardly the only one to crack the single-match top-20 list, as McGill's 32 digs are tied for the seventh most in a five-set match, Steenhuysen's 64 assists are tied for 18th, and Manwaring's attack percentage ties for 20th all-time. Additionally, Spencer's kill total is the highest in a five-set match by a freshman in school history.

Eastern Michigan (13-6) took control early in the match, leading 8-5 early on before the Mastodons scored 15 of the next 20 points to pull away to a 20-13 lead, cruising to the 25-18 opening-set win.

The Mastodons never trailed in the second set, as the hosts jumped out to an 11-6 lead and never looked back, including scoring the final five points of the set in the 25-16 win.

Following the 10-minute intermission, the Eagles came out firing in the third set, leading 13-9 halfway through the frame. The Mastodons fought back, closing to within one at 19-18 before the visitors used a 4-1 run to push ahead to a 23-19 lead. With the momentum clearly against them, the Mastodons fought back on kills by Manwaring, and two from Kendall Wienkes, before an attack error tied the set at 23 apiece. Eastern Michigan; however, scored the last two points of the set to take the third frame 25-23.

The Mastodons and Eagles went back and forth in the opening of the fourth set, before EMU started pulling away jumping ahead to an 18-14 lead late in the set. The Mastodons fought back, closing to within one at 24-23, but a Kristen Baker kill ended the hopes of the win, and sending the match into a deciding fifth set.

IPFW wasted no time in the fifth set, scoring the first five points of the set, and never trailed overall. The Eagles got as close as one at 8-7, before the Mastodons used a steady dose of Spencer, who had seven kills in the shortened set, including using the freshman to end the contest with a kill, giving the game its 15-11 final score.

Rachel Iaquaniello unloaded a team-best 13 kills for the Eagles, while Haley Stein had 22 digs, and Kristen Baker seven blocks.

The Mastodons return to action on Friday, October 7 when the Mastodons host the Coyotes of the University of South Dakota, who is in its first season in the Summit League. First-serve for the match is at 7:00 p.m. at the Gates Sports Center.

~Dons~