Sweep over Loyola Opens Season for 'Dons

Saturday, August 27

Muncie, Ind.

2:00 PM

Purdue Fort Wayne

1-0

Loyola (Ill.)

0-2

IPFW

Loyola-Chicago

Emily Spencer opened her career in spectatular fashion on Saturday afternoon with 16 kills and 15 digs

8/27/2011 1:43:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

BOX SCORE | PHOTO GALLERY

Muncie, IN - The Mastodons swept past Loyola in IPFW's season opener 3-0 by scores of 25-19, 25-18, 29-27, as freshman Emily Spencer had a match-high 16 kills and 15 digs in her Mastodon debut at the Ball State Active Ankle Challenge.

Spencer picked up her 16 kills, the most in a three-set match debut in IPFW's NCAA Division I era, while Jessie Manwaring set a new career-high with 10 kills on just 16 swings (.500 attack percentage). Haley Emenhiser and Alli Hook each added eight kills for the 'Dons. Megan Steenhuysen dished out 40 assists, while Spencer and Tessa McGill had 15 and 14 digs, apiece.

The opening frame was back-and-forth throughout, and was tied at 16 apiece before IPFW rattled through eight consecutive points, two kills from Emenhiser, and one kill each from Manwaring, Steenhuysen, Alli Hook, McGill, and Spencer. Facing set point Loyola scored three times late, but the eight-point rally was too-much to overcome as IPFW took the opening set of the season 25-19.

The second set, like the opener, was back-and-forth throughout, and like the first, with the match tied at 16, IPFW ran off five straight points, and nine of the last 11, to take the second frame 25-18.

The third set had the teams in a seesaw frame that saw the largest margin in the set come at 4-1 and 10-7, with IPFW leading by three each time. The game was tied 13 times from 14-14 to the finale of the contest, with Spencer coming through in the end for IPFW with two of the final three points on kills for the Mastodons.

McGill, playing in her home city, had a team-high three service aces for IPFW, while Steenhuysen and Megan Wiler each had a pair. As a team IPFW had 50 kills, and had a .306 attack percentage where Loyola had just 35 kills and a .208 hitting percentage.

The Ramblers were led by Laura Purcell who had 11 kills, while Vicki Wrobel had 28 assists and a match-high five service aces.

The Mastodons return to action at Worthen Arena on Sunday, August 28, where they will face off against tournament host Ball State with a 2:00 PM first serve.

NOTES: The game is the IPFW debut for two student-athletes: Emily Spencer and Kendall Wienkes...Jessie Manwaring's 10 kills set a new career-high, as are her 12 attack points...Tessa McGill's double-figure dig total gives her nine straight games (dating back to last season) with double-figure digs, tied for the 11th longest such streak in program history...Emily Spencer picks up her first collegiate double-double with 16 kills and 14 digs...The win evens the all-time series with Loyola at 1-1 and takes IPFW to 18-16 in season-openers...Spencer's 16 kills are tied for the seventh most by a freshman in a three-set match in school history...Spencer's 40 attempts are the seventh most by a freshman in a three-set match in school history.