Purdue Fort Wayne WVB Wins Cougar Classic

Saturday, September 21

Edwardsville, Ill.

2:30 PM ET

Purdue Fort Wayne

5-5

Central Arkansas

4-6

Purdue Fort Wayne

Central Arkansas

Elizabeth Fuerst

Photo by: Josh Gales

9/21/2019 10:20:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Central Arkansas Box SIUE Box

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - After two wins on Saturday (Sept. 21), the Purdue Fort Wayne women's volleyball team came away from with the Cougar Classic trophy. The Mastodons went 3-0 on the wekeend, defeating Presbyterian on Friday, and Central Arkansas and host SIUE on Saturday. Katie Crowe was named the Cougar Classic MVP. Elizabeth Fuerst was named to the All-Tournament team.

GAME 1
Purdue Fort Wayne opened its day with an afternoon win over Central Arkansas 3-2 (25-27, 25-16, 22-25, 25-22, 15-12).

After 2-1, the Sugar Bears did not lead in the opening frame until 25-24. The Mastodons had a pair of set point opportunities, but could not convert, and Central Arkansas took the first set after extras.

The second set was all Mastodons, as Purdue Fort Wayne ran out to a 14-4 lead. The 'Dons led by as many as 13 at 21-8. The Sugar Bears went on a 6-1 stretch, but the Mastodon lead was too great. Sydney Boerst and Madelyn Wurster blocked the last Sugar Bear attack of the second set. The Mastodons' offense was clicking in the second with a .355 hitting clip.

Crowe picked up a double-double in the third set on a kill to bring the Mastodons within one at 19-18. She already had 13 of her digs by this point. Madison Gates also picked up her double-double late in the third, notching her 10th dig at 24-22. The set went back and forth, and the 'Dons took two in a row on Central Arkansas' set points, but the Sugar Bears took the frame on a kill from Alexis Stumbough.

Central Arkansas never trailed in the fourth set until the 'Dons went on a 6-0 scoring run after a timeout go go up 24-21. Fuerst had a block with Sandra Hoevels and three kills in a row in this stretch. The 'Dons forced an attack error to extend the match to the fifth.

The Sugar Bears led the final frame 6-3, but Purdue Fort Wayne went on a 3-0 run to tie it up and force a timeout. The 'Dons had another 3-0 push to go up 11-8, but Central Arkansas went on a 3-0 run of its own. Purdue Fort Wayne forced some untimely attack errors from Central Arkansas that gave the 'Dons the win.

Boerst had the first Mastodon double-double with blocks since her own in 2017 against Quinnipiac. She finished with 10 kills and 10 blocks. Rachael Crucis finished with a match-high 32 digs.

The Mastodons moved to 5-8, while Central Arkansas finished SIUE's Cougar Classic at 6-7.

GAME 2
Behind a big night from Crowe and Fuerst, Purdue Fort Wayne topped Cougar Classic host SIUE 3-2 (25-18, 25-23, 23-25, 18-25, 15-9) to take home the tournament title.

In the first, Purdue Fort Wayne led SIUE 12-11, then the Mastodons went on a 6-2 run, capped off by a kill from Crowe. The 'Dons rattled off a 6-2 push at the end of the set two, in which Fuerst had two kills and a block.

Purdue Fort Wayne led the second set midway through at 14-10, but SIUE went on a seven-point push that gave the Cougars a three-point lead. The Mastodons responded with a three-point run behind a kill from Sidney Schiller and Wurster and an ace from Maddi Nell. Fuerst had the final three kills of the set, forcing an SIUE timeout along the way.

SIUE jumped out to a big lead in the third set, going up 12-5 early. A pair of 4-0 runs brought the Mastodons to a stymie with the Cougars at 23, but SIUE took the set on a kill and an ace.

SIUE used an 8-1 run to go up 20-14 in the fourth, then, after a three-point Mastodon run, used a 5-1 run to take the set.

In the fifth, the Mastodons and Cougars split the first 16 points evenly, but the Mastodons went on a 7-1 run to close the match. Crowe had an ace in this stretch.

Fuerst and Crowe led the 'Dons with 19 and 17 kills, respectively. Crowe had 13 digs for a double-double. Gates got her second double-double of the day with 30 assists and 13 digs. Crucis had 25 digs to steady the back line.

The Mastodons will come back home with a 6-8 record. SIUE moves to 5-7. The Mastodons are back in action on Tuesday, Sept. 24, when Western Illinois will visit Arnie Ball Court at 7 p.m. to open the final season of Summit League play for Purdue Fort Wayne.

~ Feel the Rumble ~