Panna Ratkai Wills Mastodons to Five-Set Win at IUPUI

Saturday, October 28

Indianapolis, Ind.

4 PM

Purdue Fort Wayne

9-16,4-9Horizon

IUPUI

8-16,2-11Horizon

Purdue Fort Wayne

IUPUI

Panna Ratkai

Photo by: Josh Gales

Panna Ratkai Wills Mastodons to Five-Set Win at IUPUI

10/28/2023 6:50:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Box Score

INDIANAPOLIS - Redshirt-freshman Panna Ratkai became the only Mastodon in program history to have two 30-kill performances in her career on Saturday (Oct. 28), as the Purdue Fort Wayne women's volleyball team beat IUPUI 3-2 (26-24, 21-25, 23-25, 26-24, 15-13).

Of the many Mastodon greats to come through the program, Ratkai has two of the top-four single-match performances.

Laura Douglas - 36 kills at Lewis, 10/28/2000
Panna Ratkai - 35 kills vs. Milwaukee, 10/20/2023
Fabiana Souza - 34 kills vs. South Dakota State, 11/12/2005
Panna Ratkai - 33 kills vs. IUPUI, 10/28/2023

Ratkai's 33 kills on Saturday rank 13th in the nation in kills in a match this season. She managed it on an efficient .305 hitting. She also added 13 digs and five aces.

The 'Dons took set one thanks to a defense that held IUPUI to .204 hitting. Ratkai and Ashby Willis had four kills each. The 'Dons finished the set on a 6-1 run that included two kills and an ace from Ratkai, a block from Kennedy McCants and Ratkai, and a kill from Willis on set point.

IUPUI took the next two sets despite 15 kills from Ratkai and put the 'Dons' backs against wall.

The Mastodons responded with a .295 team hitting percentage in set four while holding IUPUI to .163. Ratkai had nine more kills and Willis had four errorless kills. IUPUI nearly closed the door on the 'Dons with a set point opportunity at 24-23, but the 'Dons went to their freshman stars to get kills from Willis and Ratkai to take the frame and push it to a fifth.

Purdue Fort Wayne went up 12-6 in set five after a 4-0 run that included an ace from Becky Barrett, but IUPUI clawed all the way back to 13-12 in favor of the 'Dons. With the match on the line late, the 'Dons went to Ratkai twice more for two more kills and the match winner.

And here was the match-winner! Who else, Panna Ratkai!#FeelTheRumble #HLVB pic.twitter.com/isb8Rp6aan
— Purdue Fort Wayne WVB (@MastodonWVB) October 28, 2023

To go with Ratkai's 33 kills, Willis pitched in a double-double of 13 kills and 14 digs. LonDynn Betts had a match-high 24 digs. Taya Haffner distributed 52 assists and had 10 digs for a double-double as well. Abby Stratford had 10 kills, six digs and five blocks.

Ava Harris and Briana Brown were a 1-2 punch for IUPUI with 21 and 18 kills, respectively.

Purdue Fort Wayne improves to 9-16 and 4-9 in the Horizon League. IUPUI falls to 8-16, 2-11. The Mastodons are back next Friday (Nov. 3) at Robert Morris and Saturday (Nov. 4) at Youngstown State.

~ Feel the Rumble ~