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VALPARAISO, Ind. – Three players recorded double-figure kills led by Kelly Wachtel's 16, but Valparaiso rallied from a two sets to one deficit to defeat the IUPUI volleyball team 3-2 (25-21, 20-25, 25-19, 19-25, 11-15) Wednesday evening in non-conference action at the Athletics Recreation Center.
 
The loss dropped the Jaguars to 1-3 on the season, while Valparaiso improved to 3-1. The match also marked the third straight year that the Jags and Crusaders went a fifth set, but IUPUI is just 1-2 in those contests.
 
Wachtel led the way offensively for the third consecutive match, while Kaitlyn Hickey and Meredith Farkas both tallied kill-dig double-doubles. Farkas notched 13 kills and recorded a career-high 18 digs, while Hickey added 11 kills and 14 digs.
 
In the opening set, the Jags managed to win the big points in the crucial situations in order to take the early lead. After jumping out to an early 5-1 cushion, the Crusaders slowly climbed back within one point as late as 18-17, but kills from Wachtel and Farkas coupled with a pair of Crusaders attack errors expanded the IUPUI advantage to 22-17. Down the stretch, Wachtel delivered two more kills to lead the Jags to a 25-21 opening-set victory.
 
In set two, the roles were reversed with Valparaiso holding a late lead at 20-19, but the Jags weren't able to duplicate what happened in the opening set as Valpo took four consecutive points to seize a 24-19 advantage. After a service error inched the Jags within four points, 24-20, the Jags returned the favor with a service error of their own to give the Crusaders the 25-20 win.
 
The momentum Valpo had at the end of the second set carried into the third set and resulted in a 17-14 lead midway through the set. Despite the slow start, IUPUI hit its stride and captured 11 of the next 13 points to win the set, 25-19 - taking a two sets to one lead. The run was highlighted by five kills from Hickey and a pair of aces from Farkas.
 
After giving up a late lead in the set three, Valparaiso responded with a 25-19 fourth-set win to send the match to a deciding fifth set – marking the Jags first five-set match of the year.
 
In the fifth set, Valparaiso looked to be in control as its lead grew to 11-8, but a kill from Hickey off the hands of the Valpo double block and a kill from Kori Waelbroeck through the seam forced the Crusaders to burn a timeout as the Jaguars inched within a point at 11-10. However, Valparaiso regrouped and won the next three points to all but put the match away. Following a Hickey kill, the Crusaders put down a kill of their own to finish off a 15-11 triumph.
 
Defensively, Beth Howard led the way with 24 digs, while Alexis Mapes joined Hickey and Farkas with a double-double of her own dishing out 28 assists and adding 11 digs.
 
IUPUI resumes its season-opening, seven-match road swing this weekend when it heads to South Bend, Ind., for the Golden Dome Invitational hosted by Notre Dame. The Jags open the event against Washington State and Wester Michigan on Friday, Sept. 5, before taking on Notre Dame on Saturday, Sept. 6.