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FORT WAYNE, Ind. – For the first time since the 2008 season, the IUPUI volleyball team earned a road win against Summit League rival Fort Wayne after the Jags captured a 3-1 (25-19, 20-25, 25-23, 25-23) victory over the Mastodons Tuesday at the Hilliard Gates Sports Center.

Coming into the night, Fort Wayne (9-11; 3-3 Summit) led the conference in blocking in league-only matches averaging 2.39 bps while the Jags ranked last with 1.38 bps. IUPUI (10-11; 4-2 Summit) reversed that trend doubling up IPFW 12.0 to 6.0 thanks in part to Gabby Fisher and Kaitlyn Hickey combining to match the Mastodons total.

"Our defense really stepped up to out-block IPFW and we made some really good runs to close deficits and hold on to leads," head coach Steve Payne said. "It was a very good team effort and win tonight."

Hickey and Fort Wayne's Emily Spencer came into the night ranked fifth and first, respectively, in the conference in kills, but both were outdone by the Mastodon's Somer Johnson. Johnson posted 17 kills to lead all players, while Spencer added 16 and Hickey finished with 14.

Hickey was the only Jag to finish in double-figures in kills, but Alexis Mapes distributed the ball to all of her hitters resulting in six players finishing with five kills or more. Defensively, Hickey also led the way with 15 digs, marking her sixth straight kill-dig double-double, and she added four blocks and three aces.

Seven Mastodon errors and kills from four different players propelled the Jaguars to a four-point lead in set one. The cushion grew to six on a Hickey ace and a Kelly Wachtel kill, and from that point IPFW never really threatened. With the IUPUI lead at 19-13, seven side outs were exchanged before a kill and an ace from Hickey, her third of the set, moved the advantage to 24-17. Following two Jags errors, a Wachtel kill put away a 25-19 first-set win.

Both teams went on a series of runs in set two, but the Jags could never get over the hump. Trailing by five early in the set, IUPUI rallied within two at 14-12 only to see the Mastodons respond with their second five-point spurt of the set to open a 19-12 lead. A late Skylar Wright ace helped the Jaguars inch within four points at 24-20, but a Johnson kill finished off a 25-20 second-set win for IPFW to knot the match at one set apiece.

Out of the break, the first five points fell Fort Wayne's way, but it didn't take long for the Jags to get back on track. Following a timeout, IUPUI used two Mastodon errors, two blocks and a Hickey kill to close within a point at 9-8. Following a pair of ties, a Hickey kill gave the Jags their first lead of the set at 16-15, but an IUPUI attack error, an IPFW ace and two Kendall Wienkes kills helped the Mastodons catapult in front, 19-16. Fort Wayne held a lead as late as 23-22, but a Mastodons service error and consecutive blocks from Logan Walling and Fisher on Spencer attacks finished off a 25-23 come-from-behind triumph for the Jaguars.

A back-and-forth affair ensued in the fourth set with neither team extending a lead to more than three points the entire way. Ten ties occurred before a brief run featuring a Hickey kill, a block from Fisher and Kori Waelbroeck and a solo block from Meredith Farkas placed the Jaguars in front, 19-16. Ten side outs followed before a Spencer kill and a Hickey attack error trimmed the IUPUI lead to 24-23, forcing Payne to use a timeout. Out of the timeout, Hickey made up for that error by putting down a kill to cement a 25-23 fourth-set win.

IUPUI continues its road swing on Friday, Oct. 17, when it heads to Macomb, Ill., to take on Western Illinois. The match is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET.