Box Score
MACOMB, Ill. – The IUPUI volleyball team overcame an early deficit, using a stout defense to take down Western Illinois, 3-1, in their first Summit League road contest Saturday night at Brophy Hall. The Jaguars won, 22-25, 25-20, 15-14, 26-24.
IUPUI (9-6, 2-0 Summit) received 19 kills from freshman Kalyse Reimbold in the win, while resuming their exceptional back row play. The Jaguars, who entered tonight’s match leading the nation in digs per game, had 97 digs in the four-set win. Ashley Johnson was the only other Jaguar in double figures with 10 kills.
The Jaguars got out to a quick start in the opening set, taking a 6-2 lead before Western Illinois (5-10, 1-1 Summit) responded, eventually tying the set at 10 following an IUPUI attack error. After the Jags took a brief 15-12 lead, the Westerwinds went on an 8-4 run, taking their first lead on a Jaguar attack error.
A Westerwind kill opened a 21-20 WIU lead, and after a Reimbold kill tied the set, Western Illinois used three straight kills to control the set, winning 25-22.
The second set was a back and forth affair, with Western Illinois eventually opening a 10-7 lead. However, a Reimbold kill brought IUPUI within a point and three consecutive WIU attack errors enabled the Jags to open a 15-12 lead.
A kill by Monica Suding gave IUPUI a 17-13 advantage, and another Suding kill helped maintain the margin at 18-14. Still, WIU took the next three points to force an IUPUI timeout, and the Westerwinds tied the set at 18 after a Jaguar attack error.
However, a Lauran Thompson kill gave IUPUI the lead again and a Westerwind attack error, along with a Johnson kill, made it 21-18 in favor of the Jaguars. From there, IUPUI used two kills – one from Johnson and one from Reimbold – along with two WIU errors to tie the match at a set apiece with a 25-20 win.
Using their momentum from the second set, the Jaguars jumped on top of the Westerwinds at the beginning of the third set, taking a 7-2 lead and forcing a WIU timeout. IUPUI kept the pressure on Western Illinois after the timeout, refusing to let the Westerwinds within four points throughout the set. A Suding kill gave the Jags a 10-5 lead, and they cruised from there to a 25-14 win.
Western Illinois responded in the fourth set, reeling off four consecutive points to take a 10-6 lead and force Steve Payne into a timeout. The Jaguars responded, and following the break, used an 11-5 run to take a 17-15 lead. Reimbold had three kills, while Thompson and Suding each had two during the run.
The Westerwinds, following the timeout, took four of the next five points to open a 20-18 advantage, causing Payne to use his final timeout. A WIU kill following the timeout opened a three-point edge for the Westerwinds, but a WIU attack error, followed by a Hillary Houston kill brought the Jags within a point at 21-20.
A Thompson kill made it 22-21 in favor of Western Illinois, but a WIU attack error knotted the set at 22. Another Westerwind error gave IUPUI the lead, and following a timeout, the Westerwinds tied the set at 23 with a kill. However, a Reimbold kill created a set point for IUPUI, but Western Illinois answered with a kill to tie the set.
Rachel Holmes recorded her third kill of the match to give IUPUI their second match point, and a WIU attack error gave the Jags the set and match.
IUPUI will be back in action on Friday, October 3, when they host Oral Roberts. The match will begin at 7 p.m.
