Mastodons Record Home Win over Ball State 3-1

Tuesday, August 28

Fort Wayne, Ind.

7 p.m.

Purdue Fort Wayne

3-1

Ball State

2-2

Ball State

IPFW

Photo by: Lucas Carter

Mastodons Record Home Win over Ball State 3-1

8/28/2012 9:48:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

Box Score

Fort Wayne, Ind. – The IPFW women's volleyball team defeated the Ball State Cardinals on Tuesday night 3-1 (25-15, 29-27, 18-25, 25-21). The victory marks the first win over the Cardinals since the 2007 season.

Redshirt Freshman Hailie Ripley had a career night against Ball State setting career-highs in kills, total attacks, blocks and points. Ripley was a force in the middle, recording 11 kills and seven blocks.

Emily Spencer and Jessie Manwaring also impacted the win in a big way. Spencer ended the night with a match-high 21 kills, her highest total of the season. She added eight digs on her way of scoring a team-high 23.5 points. Manwaring was a key component in the Mastodons taking the second set. Two of her 10 kills of the night tied the game in crunch time. Haley Emenhiser also reached a double-digit kill total against the Cardinals with 12.

Seniors Megan Steenhuysen and Tessa McGill were heavily involved in the win setting match-high totals in their respective categories. Steenhuysen posted 52 assists, while McGill was responsible for 24 digs.

Ball State had three student-athletes with 10 kills or more. Jacqui Seidel was the team leader in assists with 48 and Catie Redrich led the Cardinals with 16 digs.

With the crowd on their feet the first set began with each team battling point for point early in the contest. IPFW jumped out to an 11-6 lead which forced the Cardinals to call a timeout. Moments later a Ball State service error would increase the IPFW lead to 18-11. BSU called another timeout, this time trailing 20-12, but a service ace from Tessa McGill kept the momentum on IPFW's side as the 'Dons took set one 25-15.

Jessie Manwaring refused to let IPFW lose the second set as the senior middle hitter came up with two huge kills to tie the game at 24-24, and again at 26-26. Emily Spencer sent a spike down to the hardwood to put IPFW up one, but a service error would knot the game at 27-27. Hailie Ripley and Megan Steenhuysen jumped together on the right side of the net to block a Ball State attack, allowing IPFW to regain the lead and an attack error would seal the 29-27 win for the Mastodons.

Ball State avoided the sweep by winning set three 25-18. The Cardinals forced IPFW to use a timeout early grabbing a 9-6 edge. The Mastodons climbed back into the game after scoring three straight points off a timeout. The turning point in set three came right after IPFW cut the lead to 16-17. The Cardinals went on to score three straight and would eventually take the set 25-18.

The final set of the night ended with Hailie Ripley recording the match-winning kill. The Mastodons were the first team to 10 holding a two-point lead with the first timeout of the game being called by BSU. A kill from Haley Emenhiser pushed the IPFW lead to 17-13, but Ball State came back forcing the 'Dons to call timeout leading 18-16. IPFW scored two quick points after the timeout and an Emily Spencer kill put the scoreboard at 23-19. The night ended in perfect fashion as Ripley got way above the net to send the final spike of the game into the court.

IPFW will return to action this weekend by competing in the UIC Invitational hosted by the UIC Flames in Chicago, Ill. Joining the Flames and the Mastodons will be UT-Arlington and Eastern Michigan. IPFW will play Eastern Michigan on Friday night to open up tournament play. Saturday will feature the 'Dons facing UIC at 1 p.m. and UT-Arlington at 6 p.m.

~ Feel the Rumble ~