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Purdue Fort Wayne
18-14
IUPUI
18-13
Mastodons Drop 5-Set Clash in Summit League Semi's
11/23/2013 10:43:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
BOX SCORE | BOX SCORE (.pdf) | BOX SCORE (.htm)
INDIANAPOLIS - The IPFW Mastodons season came to a close in what will be considered by anyone in attendance as an instant classic, as the 'Dons fell to in-state rival IUPUI in a rematch of the 2012 championship match 3-2 (23-25, 25-18, 26-24, 27-29, 15-13). IPFW ends their season 18-14 but have now advanced to the Summit League tournament semi-finals all seven seasons as a member of the league.
Kendall Wienkes led IPFW with 18 kills on the night while Emily Spencer put down 17 and Hailie Ripley had 15. Spencer and Wienkes both finished the match with a double-double with 12 and 11 digs respectively. Ripley led IPFW with six blocks while Somer Johnson had six, and Spencer and Sarah Heckman each put down four. Madison Spence would also finish with a double-double as she dished out a match- and career-high 59 assists and made 12 digs on the night. Spence also had a match-high three aces while Jen Milligan led the 'Dons with 18 digs.
After the Jaguars took the opening two points of the first set, the Mastodons fought back to take 10 of the next 13 points as they took a 10-4 lead, which they never relinquished. IUPUI would cut the 'Dons lead to three at 19-16, but the Mastodons would get three of the next points to extend their lead. The Jaguars would fight back again, but the Mastodons would get a kill from Spencer to close out the set.
IPFW would again drop the first two points of the second set, but this time the 'Dons would be unable to overcome the early deficit. The Mastodons would cut the IUPUI lead down to just one at 10-9, but the Jaguars would score the next four points as the 'Dons were unable to pull any closer the rest of the way.
The Mastodons came out of the intermission fired up scoring the first five points of the third set. IUPUI slowly began to crawl back into it before tying things at 14 apiece as the two sides battled through the next several points. With IPFW holding and 18-17 lead, the 'Dons would score the next two points on a pair of aces by Wienkes to go up by three. But the Jags would close out the set with five straight points and put the 'Dons in a tough spot.
IUPUI continued their hot streak as they opened the fourth set with three straight points. The Jags would open up a 9-5 lead before it was the 'Dons who got hot as they tied things up at 10 all on a block by Ripley and Johnson. After IUPUI got a point, the Mastodons scored three straight to take a 13-11 lead. Neither side was able to get much breathing room as the teams traded points until with the score was tied 20-20. The 'Dons would have set point at 24-21, but again IUPUI rallied to tie the score at 24 all. The two sides battled it out once again to the end as they exchanged points. The Mastodons finally put things away as they got a kill from Wienkes followed by a block from Johnson and Ripley to force the decisive fifth set.
The 'Dons opened the deciding set with the first two points to take the early lead. IUPUI would get four straight points to take a 7-5 lead. The Mastodons cut the Jags lead to 9-8 as the two sides began to trade points once again. IPFW would pull even as they got a block from Heckman and Johnson followed by a kill from Wienkes to knot things up at 13-13 and forcing IUPUI to use a timeout. The Jags though would come out of the timeout and get the next two points to take the set and the match.
IPFW finished the night with 67 kills, their second most of the season, while hitting .221 from the floor.
~ Feel the Rumble ~
