Mastodons Win Opening Match of Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational

Friday, September 20

Fort Wayne, Ind.

7 PM

Purdue Fort Wayne

5-6,0-0Horizon

Saint Francis (Pa.)

4-7,0-0NEC

Saint Francis

Purdue Fort Wayne

Panna Ratkai, Jena Medearis, Nicole Jones

Photo by: Tristen Bronaugh

Mastodons Win Opening Match of Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational

9/20/2024 9:29:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Box Score

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Purdue Fort Wayne women's volleyball beat Saint Francis (Pa.) in the opening match of the Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational presented by Hyatt Place on Friday (Sept. 20). The Mastodons topped the Red Flash 3-1 (25-22, 25-21, 22-25, 25-21).

Nicole Jones recorded her second double-double in as many matches. She dished out a season-high 25 assists and dug out 10 Red Flash attacks. Taya Haffner (14 assists, 12 digs) and LonDynn Betts (15 digs, 11 assists) also notched double-doubles. Panna Ratkai, Abby Stratford and Riley Rosneck all had kill totals in the double-digits. Ratkai led the team with 16, while Stratford and Rosneck each had 11. Stratford did so on an efficient mark .556.

The Mastodons had a strong offensive performance, hitting .344 as a team. In the first and fourth sets, the 'Dons hit .467 and .483, respectively.

The Mastodons used a 5-1 run early, then a 4-0 push later in the set to go up 20-15 with enough cushion to go up 1-0. Ratkai had five of her 16 kills in the opening set. The 'Dons had just one attacking error in the frame.

Purdue Fort Wayne had a 5-0 push in the early goings of set two that included kills from Stratford, Ratkai and Plemons and two blocks from Iris Riegel and Plemons. After Saint Francis tied the set at 14, the 'Dons responded with a 4-0 run that was capped off by an ace from Haffner. The visitors tied the set at 21 later on, but the Mastodons shut the door on a comeback with a 4-0 run.

Saint Francis used a 13-5 closing stretch after the Mastodons built up a an eight-point lead at 15-7.

The 'Dons had a 5-1 stretch in set four to go up 11-7 after a kill from Rosneck. Ratkai had a kill that started a 6-2 push that included an ace from Betts. Late in the frame, Jones' serve put SFU out of system and allowed Jena Medearis to pick up two kills in a four-point stretch.

Purdue Fort Wayne improves to 5-6, while Saint Francis falls to 4-7. The Mastodons are back in action on Saturday morning (Sept. 21) at 11 a.m. against Indiana State.

~ Feel the Rumble ~