Box Score (html) | Box Score (.pdf) | Steve Payne Postgame Interview | Highlights
 
INDIANAPOLIS – Kaitlyn Hickey put down a match-high 19 kills leading the IUPUI volleyball team past in-state and Summit League foe Fort Wayne, 3-1 (25-16, 24-26, 25-14, 25-15) Friday evening at The Jungle.
 
The win not only improved IUPUI's overall record to 13-11 and league mark to 7-2, but it secured the first regular-season sweep over the Mastodons since 2008.  The win was the Jaguars fifth in a row.
 
"It was a really impressive win tonight. IPFW's a really good team and we just took care of our side of the court and took care of the ball those last two sets," head coach Steve Payne said.
 
Joining Hickey with double-figure kills were Meredith Farkas with 14 and Kelly Wachtel with 11, but Logan Walling added eight kills at a .400 clip to lead the Jags to a .321 team hitting percentage.
 
Emily Spencer, who entered the night as the Summit League's leader in kills per set, finished with a team-high 17 kills as Fort Wayne dropped to 10-14 overall and 4-5 in the conference.
 
IUPUI benefited from a sloppy start from the Mastodons as four IPFW hitting errors helped the Jags take a 9-4 lead in set one. Fort Wayne responded by scoring six of the next seven points to even the score at 10-10, but the Jaguars returned the favor scoring six of the ensuing seven points to regain a 16-11 cushion. From that point, the set was never in question as the Jags took set one 25-16. During the opening set, IUPUI's defense was strong holding IPFW to a .062 hitting percentage, while its offense connected at a .323 clip.
 
The second set was completely different from the start with both teams exchanging side out after side out before a mini Mastodons spurt put them in front, 12-9. IUPUI chipped away at its deficit and eventually knotted things up at 18-18, before IPFW again opened up a 21-18 advantage. Just as the Mastodons lead moved back to three, a three-point Jags run featuring kills from Hickey and Wachtel again tied things up at 21. Three more ties ensued, but a IPFW kill followed by a Jags attack error finished off a 26-24 win for the Mastodons in set two, evening the match at one set apiece.
 
Out of the break, the serving and defense of Gabby Fisher helped the Jags take an 8-2 cushion. Fisher's serving caused some poor passing for the Mastodons and when they did take some good swings, Fisher made some impressive digs in the back row to extend some plays resulting in IUPUI kills. The Jaguars kept the pressure on by extending their lead to 15-6 off a Fisher and Wachtel block, before the lead reached double-digits, 19-9, on a Fisher kill in transition. Fisher added another ace down the stretch helping IUPUI finish off a 25-14 third-set win.
 
The momentum continued into set four where IUPUI sprinted out to an early lead again behind the serving of Fisher. The Mastodons managed to close within three at 8-5, but setter Alexis Mapes gave Hickey a steady dose of opportunities and she capitalized on a three of them helping the Jags extend their advantage to 15-7. The rest of the way the Jags lead never dipped below six and they eventually took the match with a 25-15 set-four win.
 
Friday's match also served as IUPUI's Breast Cancer Awareness match benefiting Ribbon Chicks, an organization based out of Fort Wayne, Ind., who was founded by former IUPUI volleyball player Jen Mertz Will. All of the monies raised by the Jaguars surrounding the match went directly to Ribbon Chicks, which helps provide funds to cover expenses for Breast Cancer patients in northeast Indiana.
 
Next up for the Jaguars will be a Sunday matinee against Oral Roberts at 1 p.m. inside The Jungle. Oral Roberts handed the Jags their last loss back on Oct. 5.