Mastodons Unable to Hold On Against Feisty Kangaroos

Friday, November 4

Kansas City, Mo.

6:00 PM

Purdue Fort Wayne

18-8, 11-4

UMKC

11-15, 5-10

IPFW

UMKC

Photo by: Lucas Carter

Mastodons Unable to Hold On Against Feisty Kangaroos

11/4/2011 8:10:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

BOX SCORE

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The IPFW Mastodons were unable to hold onto an early 2-0 lead, falling to the UMKC Kangaroos, a team that has now won five conference matches in a row after opening the season 0-10, 17-25, 22-25, 25-13, 25-20, 15-6.

Kendall Wienkes led IPFW (18-8, 11-4 Summit League) with a match-high 19 kills, while Spencer added 15 in the losing effort. Megan Steenhuysen dished out 48 assists, with Tessa McGill leading four players in double-figure digs with 21, also a match-high. Jessie Manwaring narrowly missed double-figure kills with nine, while Megan Wiler added seven.

Spencer chipped in 15 digs for her 18th double-double of the year, while Steenhuysen also added 15 digs for her seventh double-double of the year, and 34th in her career, which moves her into a two-way tie with Julie Parrot for the seventh-most career digs in school history. Kendall Wienkes also picked up a double-double, her fourth of the season. Alli Hook had a team-high five blocks, with Spencer, Steenhuysen, and Wiler each added three.

The opening set saw a one-point IPFW margin at 7-6 before the Mastodons ran off ten straight points behind the serving of Spencer, which included two aces from the freshman, as the streak stretched IPFW's lead to 17-6. The 'Dons would not give up its advantage for the remainder of the set for the 25-17 win.

The second set was the closest set of the match, with 16 tie scores and eight lead changes. With the Kangaroos leading 21-20, IPFW ran off three straight points on a Wienkes kill, a UMKC (11-15, 5-10 Summit) attack error, and a McGill service ace pushed the Mastodons ahead 23-21. UMKC closed to within one a point later, before Spencer closed the door with back-to-back kills to end the set.

The lead for IPFW to close the second set was its final lead of the match, as UMKC opened each of the next three sets with large runs, including a 5-0 streak to open the third set. The Kangaroo lead grew to as many as a dozen at 20-8, before the Mastodons closed strong, but the early deficit was too much in the 25-13 'Roo victory.

The fourth set opened with a 6-1 run by UMKC, and the hosts did not look back, despite a rally by IPFW that cut the deficit to four at 20-16, and by two at 22-20; however, a 3-0 Kangaroo run ended the comeback hopes, and sending the match into a fifth and deciding set.

A 3-0 streak to open the set gave the 'Roos an advantage in the fifth set, and would not trail over the entirety of the set. IPFW closed to within three at 9-6, but a 6-0 run to close the match with a 15-6 victory in the fifth set.

Kelsey Knoche led UMKC with 17 kills while Demetria Williams had a match-high seven blocks, and Ella Meier had a double-double with 44 assists and 18 digs.

The Mastodons return to action on Sunday, November 6 when the team travels to Vermillion, South Dakota for its first-ever trip to face off at the home court of the University of South Dakota.

~Dons~