Box Score | Steve Payne Interview | Highlights

INDIANAPOLIS – Behind a career-high 23 kills from Moriah Fair and a stellar team defensive effort, the IUPUI volleyball team defeated Oakland, 3-1 (21-25, 25-18, 27-25, 25-15), Friday evening at The Jungle.

The win upped IUPUI’s overall record to 20-9 and its Summit League record to 12-3, securing the Jaguars first 20-win season since the 2009 season and the program’s second since joining the Division I ranks during the 1998 season.

While Fair had a career night on the offensive end, it was IUPUI’s defense that emerged following a first-set loss that carried the Jaguars to the victory.

“With five players in double digits in digs, our defense just never let the ball hit the floor,” head coach Steve Payne said. “[Our defense] just picked up the pace the last couple sets and popped everything up. After that first set, we just kind of picked up our defensive game and saw some good match-ups out there and went to that.”

In addition to Fair, Kelsey Hoefer and Kaitlyn Hickey both posted double-digit kills with 14 kills apiece, thanks in part to Alexis Meeks and Ellyn Jones, who combined to record 55 assists 22 digs while leading the team to a .264 hitting percentage for the match.

“We were very balanced tonight and our setters weren’t trying to put the set somewhere where it was a difficult hit - they made it easy for our hitters to get up there and get good swings,” Payne said. “Moriah had some really aggressive swings tonight and that opened the door for Kelsey.”

“There was a lot more communication after that first set and when we communicate we just do everything better. The sets were perfect tonight – I loved all of them – so it was great,” Fair said.

After dropping a tough first set, 25-21, IUPUI used kills from six different players early in set two to help build a 15-10 lead. The lead grew to as many as eight, 23-15, and a kill by Fair coupled with an Oakland service error closed out a 25-18 win in set two, knotting the match at a set apiece.

Out of the intermission, Oakland quickly took a 6-1 lead, but the Jags managed to slowly chip away at their deficit before eventually evening the score at 15-15. Six side outs followed before a Golden Grizzlies attack error gave the Jags their first lead of the set, 19-18, forcing Oakland to use a timeout. OU had an opportunity to close out the Jags leading 24-23, but back-to-back kills from Fair and Hickey reversed the tides and gave IUPUI set point. An Oakland side out ensued, but a kill by Hickey preceded a huge block from Kelly Wachtel and Kortni Wright clinching a 27-25 come-from-behind set-three victory for the Jags.

The fourth set was a see-saw affair early until the serving of Meeks put the match away. Leading 10-9, Meeks went back to serve and her ability to get Oakland out of system resulted in a seven-point run that opened up a 17-9 IUPUI advantage. Down the stretch, Hoefer and Fair got the Jags to a 24-15 lead, and Hickey then finished off the Golden Grizzlies with her 14th kill of the night securing the 25-15 fourth-set win.

Wright was an unsung hero for the Jags as she tied a career high with nine blocks, and it seemed like each one of her blocks came at a big moment for IUPUI.

“Kortni definitely stepped up tonight and she’s always there to motivate the team,” Fair said. “She doesn’t make that many errors and she comes through big for us, like she did tonight with the blocks.”

“Kortni does go under the radar, but she knows her main job is to block,” Payne said. “She plays her role well out there and she showed that tonight with nine blocks.”

The Jaguars conclude their 2012 regular-season on Saturday, Nov. 10, when it hosts in-state rival Fort Wayne at 5 p.m. Not only will Saturday serve as senior day for Bethany Fogler, Hoefer and Lindsey Weber, but Saturday’s will be the outright regular-season Summit League Champion and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Summit League Tournament. Both teams enter the final regular-season match with a 12-3 Summit League mark.

“It was good to finish up the way we did here tonight against a good Oakland team and hopefully that carries over tomorrow against IPFW, who is a good all-around team,” Payne said.