INDIANAPOLIS – For the first time this season, the IUPUI volleyball team found itself in a race to 15 points in a fifth set, and the Jaguars were able to come away with a 3-2 win over West Virginia in the final match of the 2015 IUPUI Hampton Inn Invitational.
The Jags finished in second place with a 2-1 record, while Eastern Michigan took home the tournament title for the second time. West Virginia finished in third and Charlotte fourth. For their efforts over the weekend,
Logan Walling and
Kaitlyn Hickey were All-Tournament selections for the Jags.
Against the Mountaineers,
Kelly Wachtel led the way with 14 kills and hit .357, and she was joined in double figures by
Gabby Fisher and
Kori Waelbroeck with 10 apiece. Defensively, Hickey and
Courtney Halter led the back-row efforts with 19 and 17 digs, respectively.
After West Virginia took the first point of the set, the Jaguars won the next six points to take the early momentum. It didn't take long for the Mountaineers to claw back as they evened the score at 11-11, but a WVU service error, two kills from Wachtel and kills from Hickey and Wright helped reestablish a 16-12 lead. The IUPUI lead fluctuated between two and three points until a WVU ace and a Jags attack error evened the score at 20-20, forcing a Jaguars timeout. Out of the timeout, WVU continued its run taking the next five points to clinch a 25-20 opening-set win.
Three blocks in the first few points of the second set got the Jaguars back on track and that helped carry them to an 11-4 lead. Back-to-back blocks featuring
Abby Horn pushed the IUPUI lead to double digits at 16-5, and despite a Mountaineers run that brought them within seven, WVU never really threatened as the Jaguars cruised to a 25-14 win in set two to even the match at one set apiece.
The momentum gained from the set-two win carried into the third set. Two kills each from Fisher and Waelbroeck and a pair of aces led IUPUI to a 10-4 lead, forcing a WVU timeout. A kill from Wachtel, an ace from Hickey and a block from Horn and Wachtel on consecutive points doubled up WVU at 16-8, but the Mountaineers were able to crawl back within one at 23-22. A kill from Fisher on an over pass gave IUPUI two set points, and after one was spoiled, Wachtel delivered a powerful kill from the right side to close out a 25-23 win placing the Jags in front, 2-1.
After good starts in each of the first three sets, the Jags failed to continue that trend in set four as West Virginia claimed an 18-7 lead. IUPUI made a rally to close within six at 18-12, but the deficit was too much to overcome as West Virginia extended the match to fifth set with a 25-16 fourth-set win.
The score was tied at 5-5 in the fifth set until a block from Hickey and Walling, and two kills from Waelbroeck gave the Jags the 8-6 lead at the switch. A side out made it 8-7, but a kill from Wachtel, a Mountaineers attack error and consecutive aces from Hickey upped the lead to 12-7. With IUPUI's lead at 13-10, a kill from Wachtel and a big block from Walling and Waelbroeck secured the 15-11 win in the fifth set for the Jags.
The win marked the first for IUPUI over West Virginia.
Up next for the Jaguars is a road trip to nearby Terre Haute, Ind., on Tuesday, Sept. 8, where they will take on Indiana State at 7 p.m. Tuesday's match will be available on WatchESPN.
