Mastodons Earn Road Win at Toledo

Tuesday, October 16

Toledo, Ohio

6 p.m.

Purdue Fort Wayne

18-4

Toledo

8-13

IPFW

Toledo

Photo by: Lucas Carter

10/16/2012 9:19:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

Box Score

TOLEDO, Ohio -- IPFW lost the first set at Toledo, but the Mastodons responded by winning three-straight to earn their 18th win of the season (23-25, 25-14, 27-25, 25-21).

Kendall Wienkes recorded her fifth double-double of the season against the Rockets with 10 kills and 11 digs. Joining Wienkes as impact players on Tuesday night was the duo of Emily Spencer and Hailie Ripley. Spencer recorded a team-high 19 kills to go along with eight digs and two service aces. Ripley ended the match with 11 kills and three blocks.

Megan Steenhuysen set up the offense by recording a match-high 49 assists against the Rockets. She tallied 10 more assists than Adria Pryor who led Toledo with 39. Steenhuysen is approaching 1,000 assists on the year as she will enter the weekend with 998.

Tessa McGill recorded a match-high 24 digs against Toledo. McGill is now seventh all-time at IPFW with 493 digs in a single-season. The senior also holds the second (653 – 2011) and fourth (615 – 2010) spots on the list.

Lauren Rafdal led Toledo to victory in the first set by recording seven kills and three digs against the Mastodons. The Rockets jumped out to a 6-2 advantage and held the lead until IPFW tied the game at 8-8. The turning point in the opening set came with the scored knotted up at 17-17. The Rockets went on a four-point scoring run that was capped off by a Rafdal kill. IPFW cut the lead to one at 23-22, but a kill from Brooke Frazer got Toledo to match point and Sondra Parys pushed the Rockets over the top 25-23.

IPFW dominated the second set and would go on to tie the match at 1-1 with a 25-14 win. The 'Dons got off to a 10-5 lead before Toledo called for their first timeout. The stoppage didn't work as IPFW enjoyed a 20-10 lead after an Emily Spencer kill. Spencer came up with four of her 19 kills in the second set. The lead would prove to be too much as IPFW cruised to a 25-14 win.

The third set between IPFW and Toledo was the key factor to the outcome of the match on Tuesday night as the Mastodons fought back from a 12-5 deficit to claim a 27-25 win. IPFW trailed from the start, but they were able to climb back into the set after Emily Spencer cut the lead to 22-23. The 'Dons faced match point after a kill from Becca Reidy, but Spencer would not be denied as she recorded back-to-back kills that tied the game at 24-24. Hailie Ripley and Lauren Rafdal each recorded kills that pushed the score to 25-25, but it was Ripley who came back to give her team a one point lead with another kill in crunch time. Spencer well deservingly ended the set with a service ace which gave IPFW momentum heading into the fourth set.

Emily Spencer helped IPFW secure the win in the fourth set with her high level of play against the Rockets. The game was tied at 19-19 down the stretch as Spencer supplied IPFW with four kills when it mattered most. Steenhuysen made the assist on each Spencer kill, and Ripley ended the match with a kill, giving IPFW a 25-21 win.

The women's volleyball team will return to the Gates Sports Center this weekend as they host a pair of games against Kansas City and South Dakota. Kansas City will face the Mastodons on Friday, Oct. 19 while the Coyotes will test the 'Dons on Saturday night.

~ Feel the Rumble ~