Balanced Effort Lifts Mastodons over Jaguars

Tuesday, September 20

Indianapolis, Ind.

7:00 PM

Purdue Fort Wayne

7-5 (1-1Summit)

IUPUI

5-9 (0-3Summit)

IPFW

IUPUI

Megan Steenhuysen dished out 46 assists while adding 13 digs for the double-double on her birthday

9/20/2011 9:39:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

BOX SCORE

Indianapolis, IN - A balanced effort that saw two players reach double-figure kills, four reach double-figure digs, and three more with at least five blocks, helped lift the IPFW Mastodons past the Jaguars of IUPUI in a mid-week Summit League match on Tuesday evening by a 3-2 score (11-25, 25-14, 14-25, 25-21, 15-8).

Emily Spencer led IPFW with a match-high 18 kills while Jessie Manwaring added 13. Haley Emenhiser and Megan Wiler narrowly missed the double-figure kill plateau with nine and seven, respectively. Tessa McGill had a match-leading 26 digs, while Spencer added 14 for her eighth double-double of her career. Megan Steenhuysen and Jen Milligan each chipped in 13 digs.

Alli Hook had seven blocks for a match- and team-high, while Megan Wiler had six and Manwaring five. Steenhuysen, on her birthday, dished out a team-best 46 assists, while picking up the 29th double-double of her career.

The Mastodons led early in the first set at 2-1, but the advantage would be short-lived, as the Jaguars scored four straight points, and IPFW could not respond. IUPUI followed with a 9-0 run, in all scoring 15 points in a 17-point span, jumping ahead 16-4 through the halfway point of the set, cruising to the 25-11 opening-set win.

The second set saw the Jaguars jump ahead by two at 7-5 after a 3-0 run; however, it was the Mastodons' turn this time to put on a run, scoring eight consecutive points to push ahead to a 13-7 lead. The IPFW advantage grew to as many as 11 in the set, as the Mastodons closed the frame with back-to-back points to even the match at one set apiece with the 25-14 second-set win.

Following the 10-minute intermission, IPFW started out with a 5-3 lead following a brief 3-0 run before the Jaguars opened up six consecutive points to lead 10-6, and never trail for the rest of the set in the 25-14 IUPUI set win.

Facing elimination in the match, IPFW trailed only at 2-1 in the fourth set, pushing its advantage to as many as four at 11-7. The Jaguars fought back with four straight points to tie the set at 11. IPFW scored six of the next eight points to lead again by four at 17-13, before yet another Jaguar 4-0 run again tied the set score at 17 apiece.

The teams found themselves trading sideouts for the next six points, as the teams were tied at 20-20 until the Mastodons closed out the set in strong fashion, scoring five of the final six points in the 25-21 IPFW fourth-set win.

The Mastodons scored the first four points of the fifth set, and never trailed, pulling away with a 5-0 run in the middle of the frame that turned a 7-5 lead into a 12-5 advantage. After a brief IUPUI 3-0 run, IPFW closed the match with three straight points to take the fifth and final set 15-8.

IUPUI put two players in double-figure kills, led by Morian Fair's 14 and Kelsey Hoefer's 13. Alexis Meeks dished out 39 assists while Shari Bernhardt had 21 digs.

The Mastodons return to action on Friday, September 23 when the team plays host to the Jackrabbits of South Dakota State in a 7:00 first serve at the Gates Sports Center.

~Dons~