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Purdue Fort Wayne
1-0
Duquesne
0-1
Mastodons Sweep Dukes in Season Opener
8/30/2013 10:20:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
BOX SCORE | BOX SCORE (.pdf) | BOX SCORE (.html) | PHOTO GALLERY
FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Behind 17 kills from returning Summit League Player of the Year Emily Spencer, and a 10-kill, 12-dig double-double from Katie Higginbotham, the IPFW Mastodons topped the Duquesne Dukes in straight sets (25-20, 25-22, 25-20) in the team's first game of the IPFW Hyatt Place Invitational.
Spencer led the team with 17 kills, while Higginbotham had 10, and Sarah Heckman nine. Madison Spence, in her first collegiate start, dished out 39 assists, while adding a pair of service aces. Jen Milligan picked up 14 digs with Higginbotham adding 12. Hailie Ripley had a match-high five blocks, while Spence helped out with four blocks as well.
IPFW led wire-to-wire in the first set, jumping out to a 6-2 lead through the first eight points of the match. The Mastodon advantage fluctuated between two and six the rest of the way, as IPFW cruised to a 25-20 win.
Duquesne led by as many as three in the second set at 7-4 before IPFW fought back with an 8-3 run to push ahead to a two-point, 12-10 lead after a combo block from Ripley and Spencer. Duquesne twice forced a tie score, at 14- and 20-all; however, IPFW closed the door with a 5-2 run to close the set, capped by a Heckman kill to give the frame its 25-22 final score.
Through the first 36 points of the second set, the largest margin either team would grab would be three; however, IPFW closed the door in the set, out-scoring the Dukes 7-3 late to claim the 25-20 set win.
Duquesne was led by Arielle Love who had 10 kills for the Dukes, while Mary Henry had a 29-assist, 11-dig double-double in the losing effort.
The Mastodons return to action at 1 p.m. on August 31 when the team hosts the Southern Illinois Salukis, who beat Connecticut in the game prior to IPFW"s.
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