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EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Kaitlyn Hickey posted 17 kills and Kelly Wachtel added 16 kills to lead the IUPUI volleyball team past Central Michigan, 3-1 (25-18, 25-19, 20-25, 25-23) Saturday morning in its second match of the Evansville Tournament.
 
The Jags were impressive through two sets but found itself just two points away from playing in a fifth set after dropping set three and facing a 23-22 deficit in set four. However, Gabby Fisher, Logan Walling and Wachtel put down kills for IUPUI (4-6) to avoid a fifth set and finish off the win.
 
Meredith Farkas joined Hickey and Wachtel in double-figures with 10 kills, while Fisher tallied a career-high four aces. Defensively, Beth Howard led the team with 13 digs.
 
Early in set one, Central Michigan controlled the action as it slowly built a two-point lead, but a pair of three-point runs mid-way through the set helped the Jags take control at 18-13. The Chippewas closed within three points at 19-16, but two kills from Hickey and a kill from Farkas opened a 22-16 cushion. Still leading by six, 24-18, the Jaguars used a kill from Fisher to close out a 25-18 first-set win.
 
Two Fisher aces, two Jags kills, three Central Michigan errors and an IUPUI block propelled the Jaguars to an 8-1 advantage to start set two.  Despite the early lead, there was a long way to go in the set and the Chippewas closed within three points on three occasions. Each time that occurred, the Jags ended the run with a kill to keep their lead at a comfortable margin. Down the stretch, kills from Hickey and Farkas and a block from Walling and Farkas finished off a 25-19 set-two win.
 
Out of the break, Central Michigan regrouped and took a 10-4 lead in set three forcing IUPUI to call a timeout. The Jaguars made a late run to close within four at 19-15, but that was as close at they got before the Chippewas eventually won set three, 25-20.
 
Despite the brief setback, the Jags refocused and used two kills from Wachtel and an ace from Fisher during a 6-1 run to start the fourth set. Central Michigan fought back and held a lead at 16-15, but a kill from Walling started a run in which the Jags took four of five points to take a 19-17 advantage. CMU again battled back and jumped in front 23-22, but a kill from Fisher, a kill from Walling and a kill from Wachtel completed the late comeback giving IUPUI the 25-23 win.
 
IUPUI looks for its first pre-conference tournament win since 2011 when it takes on Evansville at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.