Box Score

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The nine-match Summit League winning streak came to an end for the IUPUI volleyball team Saturday evening as the IPFW Mastodons made the key plays in the key moments to defeat the Jaguars, 3-0 (23-25, 18-25, 23-25), at the Gates Sports Center.

The loss dropped IUPUI to 15-13 overall and 9-3 in The Summit League, while Fort Wayne improved to 15-13 overall and 7-5 in the conference.

Kaitlyn Hickey and Moriah Fair both posted a team-high 12 kills, but IPFW's Kendall Wienkes and Emily Spencer combined for 33 kills and collectively hit .394 to lead the Mastodons to the win.

"I thought IPFW played good volleyball tonight and we were just a step slower both offensively and defensively," head coach Steve Payne said. "Hopefully we can put things together for next weekend."

In the opening set, neither team was able to create much separation as the first half of the set featured five lead changes and 10 ties. A kill from Hickey and an ace from Beth Howard put IUPUI in front, 16-15, but IPFW put together the first long rally of the set scoring five straight points to take a 20-16 lead. The cushion grew to 23-18, but four Mastodon miscues and kills from Fair and Kelly Wachtel brought IUPUI all the way back within one at 24-23. Needing a point to extend the set, the Jags could not stop the IPFW offense as Somer Johnson registered a kill to finish off a 25-23 opening-set win for the Mastodons.

Similar to the first set, the score remained close until IPFW opened up a 15-10 cushion forcing the Jaguars to burn a timeout. Every time the Jags looked to make a run in the second set, IPFW shut it down and made a run of its own. Down the stretch, the Mastodons used their block to open a 24-18 lead before using a Spencer kill to close out a 25-18 win and take a two sets to none lead over IUPUI.

Out of the 10-minute intermission, IPFW scored eight of the first 12 points and managed to hold a lead all the way up until the Jags knotted the score at 19 on a block from Kortni Wright and Alexis Meeks. The Mastodons seized control again at 23-20, but three straight kills from Logan Walling, Hickey and Wachtel tied things up at 23. A kill from Halie Ripley gave IPFW match point, and a block from Madison Spence and Sarah Heckman on the next point gave the Mastodons the 25-23 third-set win.

Defensively, Howard and Meeks led the way in digs with 14 and 13, respectively.

IUPUI closes out its regular-season at home next weekend when it hosts North Dakota State on Friday, Nov. 15, and South Dakota State on Saturday, Nov. 16. Friday's match is set to begin at 7 p.m., while Saturday's match will start at 5 p.m., and it will also be senior night as Meeks, Fair, and Wright will be honored prior to the start of the match for their contributions to the program.