Wednesday, February 20
Chicago, Ill.
8 p.m.
Purdue Fort Wayne
3
at
2
Loyola (Ill.)
Photo by: Lucas Carter
Mastodons Rally Twice to Knock off Loyola in Five
2/20/2013 10:24:00 PM | Men's Volleyball
BOX SCORE (.pdf)
CHICAGO, Ill. - Trailing 19-15 in the fourth set, the IPFW Mastodons rallied to win that set 29-27, and overcame a 7-2 deficit in the fifth and set to win 15-11, as the 'Dons toppled Loyola (Ill.) 3-2 (22-25, 25-12, 16-25, 29-27, 15-11) in an early MIVA contest.
Eddie Rivera had a team-high 15 kills, with Ramon Burgos adding 14. Luis Bertran picked up a match-high 13 digs, while Burgos had a career-high 11 blocks for his first collegiate double-double. In all, IPFW had more blocks (13.5-to-8.0), kills (62-to-55), and digs (43-to-41) in the win.
Loyola came into the match with a 9-6 overall record, and was receiving votes in the most recent American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll. IPFW improves to 6-4 on the season, and 3-2 in MIVA action.
The first set was a tightly contested battle throughout, with the teams seeing eight tie scores and two lead changes, as the largest margin that either team could muster was three, including when the Ramblers took the set by a 25-22 score.
IPFW never trailed in the second set, jumping out to an 8-3 lead and never looking back, forcing a side out on all but one serve on defense, while hitting .667 as a squad in the frame, with 15 kills and just one error on 21 swings.
As much as IPFW dominated the second set, Loyola took off in the third, never trailing, and pushing to a quick 12-5 lead and cruised in the 25-16 set victory.
In the fourth set, Loyola jumped ahead 19-15, forcing IPFW head coach Arnie Ball into a timeout, and from there the contest was dominated by the Mastodons, as IPFW ran off a 9-5 run to tie the set at 24, and then got a kill from Burgos, and a combo block by Burgos and Jordan Armstrong to send the match to a fifth and deciding set.
Loyola flew out of the gate in the second set, leading 7-2 through the first nine points; however, IPFW rallied behind the serves of Bryan Saunders and Andy Sellan to a 9-1 run to lead by two at 11-8. Loyola would climb to within two at 12-10, but that would be as close as the Ramblers would come in the IPFW win.
Omar Rivera had a team-high 35 assists, while Armstrong added a dozen. Three players, Burgos, Eddie Rivera, and Sellan each had an ace.
Loyola was led by Thomas Jaeschke who had a match-high 19 kills, with Joseph Smalzer picking up 14.
The Mastodons return to action on Saturday evening, when the squad travels to Romeoville, Ill. to take on the Lewis Flyers in an 8 p.m. EST first serve.
~ Feel the Rumble ~
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