MILWAUKEE, Wis. – The IUPUI volleyball team came out and took the first set against tournament host Marquette, but the Golden Eagles rallied to win the next three sets to pull out the 3-1 win over the Jags in the final match of the Marquette Invitational.
Four Jaguars were in double figures in kills led by
Kaitlyn Hickey's 16. Joining Hickey in double figures were
Skylar Wright,
Kori Waelbroeck and #Logan Walling with 15, 12 and 10 kills, respectively, while
Courtney Halter paced the defense with 19 digs.
With Hickey combining for 48 kills in the first two matches of the tournament, Marquette was going to focus most of its attention on her early in the opening set. With the Marquette focus on Hickey, Waelbroeck got the Jags off to great start connecting on kills in her first four swings helping the Jags take a 10-7 lead. The Golden Eagles battled back to take a lead at 13-12, but a kill from Walling preceded three Marquette errors giving IUPUI its three-point lead back at 16-13. The Golden Eagles inched within one at 20-19, but a kill from Hickey and two blocks down the stretch aided a late Jags spurt that resulted in a 25-20 opening-set win.
Marquette jumped out to a 6-3 lead in the second set only to have Walling and Wright combine for the next five points to catapult IUPUI in front, 8-6. During the run, Walling accounted for three kills, Wright put down one kill and the duo combined for a block forcing a Marquette timeout. A Halter ace put the Jags on top 17-15, but the Golden Eagles started to take control and went on a spurt that moved them in front, 22-19, forcing IUPUI to burn both of its timeouts. Six exchanges of side outs kept Marquette's three-point lead in tact, and an ensuing Golden Eagles kill clinched a 25-21 win evening the match at one set apiece.
Six kills out of the intermission, including three from Wright led the Jags to a 7-3 start in the third set. The lead would grow to as many as seven at 17-10, before Marquette would make a push to close within three at 21-18. Four more Golden Eagles points out of the timeout gave them their first lead of the set at 22-21, forcing the Jags to use their final timeout. Marquette continued its run and took the next two points to give themselves three set points, but a Golden Eagles service error and a kill from Hickey spoiled two of those chances. However, a Joy Miley kill completed the 25-23 comeback win for Marquette placing them up two sets to one.
Four Marquette errors contributed to an early 6-4 IUPUI lead in set four, but another lengthy Golden Eagles run placed them in front, 10-6. After that Marquette run, the Jags would never really threaten as the Golden Eagles ran away with a 25-15 fourth-set win.
Up next for the Jags is their Summit League home opener against preseason favorite Denver on Saturday, Sept. 26. The match is set to begin at 7 p.m. at The Jungle.
