IPFW Completes the Comeback with a 3-2 Road Win over Omaha

Friday, October 5

Omaha, Neb.

8 p.m.

Purdue Fort Wayne

16-3 (6-1Summit)

Nebraska Omaha

6-12 (1-5Summit)

IPFW

Omaha

Photo by: Lucas Carter

IPFW Completes the Comeback with a 3-2 Road Win over Omaha

10/5/2012 11:05:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

Box Score

OMAHA, Neb. – Friday night was wild from start to finish for the IPFW women's volleyball team. The Mastodons lost the first two sets of the match against the Omaha Mavericks, but they were able to rally on the road for a 3-2 win (24-26, 21-25, 26-24, 29-27, 21-19).

The Mastodons are now 16-3 overall and 6-1 in the Summit League while the Mavericks fall to 6-12 overall and 1-5 in league play. Haley Emenhiser had a career-night against the Mavs as the senior totaled a career-high 18 kills on Friday night to go along with five digs. Four Mastodons including Tessa McGill recorded a double figure dig total as McGill once again led the team with 29, matching her season-high.

Emily Spencer and Jessie Manwaring joined Emenhiser as Mastodons with a double figure kill total. Spencer finished with 16, while Manwaring was right behind her with 14. Spencer filled up the box score with 18 digs and two service aces.

The team's offensive leader was also a key player on Friday night as Megan Steenhuysen paced the tempo with 58 assists against the Mavericks. She added a service ace and five digs on the night.

Omaha started the night off strong as the Mastodons found themselves in a 5-2 hole early in the first set. The 'Dons fired back to tie the game at 5-5 after an attacking error by the Mavericks, but Omaha would hold strong as this set would go down to the wire. With the scoreboard loaded up at 15-15 the Mavericks went on a three-point run to take control of the set. IPFW called a timeout and responded with a three-point run which tied the game at 18-18. Neither team was able to pull away as the game was tied at 22-22 and again at 24-24. The Mavericks grabbed a 1-0 lead by winning the next two points of the set. Valerie Hecht recorded a kill for the lead and Amy Roberts finished off IPFW with a service ace.

A string of attack errors allowed the Mastodons to open up a 7-0 lead in set two. The Mavericks cleaned up their level of play and eventually went on a four-point scoring streak that tied the game at 14-14. Emily Spencer finally ended the run with a kill to regain the lead for the 'Dons, but Omaha came back to take their first lead of the set at 16-15. Another four-point scoring streak took the game from 17-19 to 17-23 as Omaha capitalized on three IPFW errors. The Mastodons could not recover in time as the Mavericks won the set 25-21, taking a 2-0 lead into the break.

IPFW jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third set, but Omaha would once again cut the lead and tie the game at 6-6. The Mavs kept the momentum by building a 10-6 lead after the tie and they would hold the upper hand until IPFW tied the game at 12-12. Neither team could pull away as the score was deadlocked at 23-23 in crunch time. The 'Dons won a very important 25^th point after a kill from Hailie Ripley and an attack error by Omaha would start the comeback trail for IPFW as they won the set 26-24.

The fourth set was action packed as the 'Dons faced a 17-11 deficit in a must win set. A string of attack errors mixed in with a few IPFW kills tied the game at 18-18 and would have to battle back to record a 29-27 win. Emily Spencer was huge down the stretch recording three key kills that gave IPFW a one point lead. Omaha tied the match at 27-27, but senior Haley Emenhiser sent a spike down for a points and an attack error kept IPFW alive to see a fifth set.

15 points wouldn't be enough to separate these two teams in the fifth set as the scoreboard was tied at 15-15, 16-16, 17-17, 18-18 and 19-19 before a winner was crowned. Emily Spencer gave IPFW a 20-19 lead and an attack error by Omaha ended a crazy Friday night giving IPFW the 3-2 win.

~ Feel the Rumble ~