Mastodons Win UIC Invite with Wins over UIC and UT Arlington

Saturday, September 1

Chicago, Ill.

1 p.m.

Purdue Fort Wayne

5-1

UIC

2-3

IPFW

Illinois-Chicago

Photo by: Lucas Carter

Mastodons Win UIC Invite with Wins over UIC and UT Arlington

9/1/2012 7:30:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Box Score vs. UIC

Box Score vs. UT Arlington

CHICAGO, Ill. – The IPFW women's volleyball team won the UIC Invitational with a perfect 3-0 record. The Mastodons defeated UIC (25-19, 25-20, 25-17) and UT Arlington (25-19, 25-23, 25-18) on Saturday to improve to 6-1 overall.

Emily Spencer led IPFW to a 3-0 victory over UIC with a double-double performance. The standout sophomore recorded a match-high 20 kills to go along with 12 digs. Spencer posted an attack percentage of .400 and also added two service aces and three blocks. Haley Emenhiser was also an important part of the IPFW offensive attack. Emenhiser was second on the team with 10 kills. She had the best attack percentage on the team at .529.

Megan Steenhuysen recorded 34 assists against the Flames. The senior setter also chipped in with two service aces, three digs, two kills and a block. Tessa McGill once again led the team in digs with 17.

The duo of Emily Spencer and Hailie Ripley led the offensive charge against UT Arlington. Spencer led the team with 14 kills, while Ripley was right behind her with 13. Kendall Wienkes stepped up with eight kills, two service aces, and five digs.

Seniors Jessie Manwaring and Haley Emenhiser played well against the Mavericks. Manwaring recorded an attack percentage of .750 (6-for-8) which led the team. Emenhiser tallied nine kills and a dig. The team's dig leader was Tessa McGill with 21. Megan Steenhuysen paced the offense with 34 assists.

Hailie Ripley and Haley Emenhiser were selected to the All-Tournament Team for their high level of play over the weekend. Joining the two IPFW student-athletes was Rachel Iaquaniello of Eastern Michigan and Amanda Welsh from UT Arlington.

The Mastodons trailed UIC early in the first set. A service ace from Spencer tied the game at 6-6 and Hailie Ripley gave the 'Dons their first lead of the game with a kill off the Steenhuysen assist. UIC opened up an 11-7 lead, but an Emenhiser kill knotted the game moments later at 12-12. The turning point of the first set came after another Spencer service ace. The point gave IPFW a 21-17 advantage and the Flames couldn't recover as an Emenhiser kill gave the 'Dons set one 25-19.

IPFW won the second set by playing their best volleyball near the end of the contest. With the game tied 16-16, it was Hailie Ripley that slammed a kill down to the surface giving the Mastodons a slim lead. A big point in the set came on a Steenhuysen and Jessie Manwaring block moving the scoreboard to 22-19. The point was followed by a UIC timeout. After the timeout the Mastodons benefited off an attacking error from UIC. Manwaring got the 'Dons to 24 points and one final UIC error gave IPFW a two game lead.

The third and final set started close, but finished as the most lopsided set of the match. The game was tied at 8-8, but IPFW went on a run that increased their lead to 14-9. The 'Dons never looked back as the lead went to 20-13 and ended 25-17 after a kill from Steenhuysen.

IPFW came out flat in the first set against UT Arlington. Head Coach Kelley Hartley Hutton burned a timeout with the 'Dons trailing 8-4. The timeout worked as IPFW eventually tied the game at 9-9 and back-to-back kills from Jessie Manwaring moved the score to 11-9. UT Arlington came up with a 17-15 lead, but the 'Dons would fight back to even the score off a Hailie Ripley kill. IPFW would never trail again as they scored four straight points down the stretch increasing the lead to 23-18. Kendall Wienkes recorded a kill that gave IPFW 24 and a Maverick error ended set one 25-19.

The 'Dons scored the first three points in set two, but Amy Davault jumpstarted the Maverick offense allowing them to score five straight points. Coach Hartley Hutton once again used a timeout early in the match and it once again turned into a great decision as the team scored six straight points after the whistle giving them a 10-7 lead. The score was tied at 17-17 and the Mavericks went on a run to open a 20-17 lead. The 'Dons tied the game up at 21-21 and then again at 23-23. Jessie Manwaring recorded a kill to give IPFW the lead and Haley Emenhiser ended the set with a kill off the Steenhuysen assist.

The Mastodons never trailed UT Arlington in set three. After a Maverick attack error, Ripley pushed the score to 3-0 with back-to-back kills. The lead jumped to 13-8 and a five point IPFW run put the game out of reach for UT Arlington. Emily Spencer iced the match with a kill off an assist from Madison Spence which made the final score 25-18.

IPFW will return to the Gates Sports Center on Tuesday, Sept. 4 with a match against Wright State. After facing the Raiders, IPFW will once again hit the road for the 2012 Spartan Showcase.

~ Feel the Rumble ~