Box Score
MACOMB Ill.- Alexis Meeks' serving and double-doubles by Dana Gardner (10 kills, 11 digs) and Lindsey Weber (10 kills, 10 digs), led the IUPUI volleyball team to a 3-2 (23-25, 25-19, 25-17, 17-25, 15-10) victory over Summit League foe Western Illinois. After dropping the first set, the Jaguars (3-12, 2-3 Summit League) came back with a vengeance, winning three of the final four sets.
Meeks' five aces finished off a 5-0 run by the Jaguars to close the match. Early in the fifth set saw the teams see-saw, but Meeks' ace ended the Jaguars' three-match losing streak.
But, IUPUI didn't start as great as it finished. The first set was tight the whole way until the Leathernecks (5-8, 2-3) rattled off five straight points to open up a 21-17 lead. A Reimbold kill and an attack error by Western Illinois allowed the Jaguars to fend off two straight set points before Western Illinois ended the set on a kill by Brooke Stittleburg.
IUPUI didn't have any hangover from the first set loss. Led by service aces by Meeks and Reimbold, who combined for nine aces in the match, the Jaguars rattled off seven of the first eight points in the second set.
The Leathernecks battled back to knot the set at 11, one of four ties in the set. The final tie was at 15 when IUPUI scored five of the next six points behind two kills from Jessica Phelps.
With a 20-16 lead, the Jaguars put the Leathernecks away with the help of three attack errors and kills by Gardner and Meeks.
IUPUI continued its momentum, steamrolling the Leathernecks in the third set. With a 2-1 lead, Reimbold had three service aces helping the Jaguars to eight straight points and a 10-1 advantage. IUPUI's serving prowess continued throughout the third set as Meeks recorded two of her, match-high, five aces. A Weber kill and attack error by Western Illinois gave the Jaguars the pivotal third set.
Western Illinois showed they are a resilient squad in the fourth set. The Leathernecks jumped out to a 3-0 lead and opened up a 10-point lead (17-7). A kill from Western Illinois' Allison Gilbert sent the match to a fifth set, where the Jaguars prevailed.
Game Notes: Four Jaguars (Reimbold 11, Gardner 10, Weber 10, Phelps 10) all had double-digit kills. Tonight's win was IUPUI's second road win in three games. Meeks had a game-high 39 assists and added 10 digs.
