TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – A year ago in Indianapolis, the IUPUI volleyball team held a two sets to none lead over Indiana State only to watch the Sycamores rally for a 3-2 win. Tuesday night in Terre Haute, Ind., the Jaguars returned the favor as they bounced back from a two sets to none deficit to stun the Sycamores, 3-2, giving IUPUI back-to-back five-set victories.
It didn't start pretty for IUPUI (5-3) as it hit .000 in the first set and only averaged 11.3 kps through the first four sets. But the Jaguars found their rhythm at the perfect time posting 11 kills on a .667 hitting percentage in the fifth set while holding ISU to an -.057 clip in the race to 15 points.
Kaitlyn Hickey led the way with 15 kills and
Skylar Wright added 12, but it was
Logan Walling and Hickey who carried the Jaguars in the fifth set combining for eight of the Jags 11 kills. Walling finished the night with 10 kills and added four blocks.
While Hickey, Wright and Walling finished in double figures in kills,
Kelly Wachtel and
Abby Horn were the team's most effective hitters with Horn hitting a team-best .500 and Wachtel hitting .348.
While it was a close first set, the Jags offense wasn't clicking on all cylinders. In total, Indiana State had 16 kills in the opening set compared to just seven for the Jaguars, but IUPUI was able to force enough ISU miscues to stay close. The set went back-and-forth with neither team holding a lead of more than three, and the score was tied as late as 22-22. Unfortunately for the Jags, three straight kills for Indiana State finished off the 25-22 opening-set win for ISU.
With the score tied at four in set two, it was Indiana State that used a four-point run to open an 8-4 lead. A side out off a
Kori Waelbroeck kill made it 8-5, but the Sycamores went on a lengthy run to double up IUPUI at 20-10. That 10-point margin held as ISU finished off a 25-15 win to go up two sets to none.
The Jags didn't get off to the best of starts in set three, but it was a six-point rally behind the serving of Hickey that propelled the Jaguars in front, 9-6. During the run, the Jags used kills from Wachtel, Horn and Wright, and three ISU errors to jump in front. The IUPUI lead fluctuated between three and four points until a brief surge upped the cushion to 21-15. However, a four-point run inched the Sycamores with two points at 21-19, forcing a Jags timeout. A Wright kill out of the timeout ended the run and started a string of seven straight side outs that resulted in the Jags taking a 25-22 win to extend the match to a fourth set.
The Jags momentum carried into the fourth set as they seized a 14-10 lead, but ISU was able to knot the score at 20-20. From that point, the Jaguars took over as two kills, an IUPUI block and two Sycamores errors completed a 25-20 IUPUI win to send the match to a fifth set.
Two Sycamores attack errors and an
Alexis Mapes kill gave IUPUI a 3-0 lead in the fifth set forcing ISU to use an early timeout. After a side out, three straight Walling kills busted open a 6-1 lead, and from there the margin grew to 8-1. From that point, the outcome was never in doubt as IUPUI finished the come-from-behind win with a 15-5 fifth-set win.
Up next for the Jaguars is a trip to Normal, Ill., for the Country Financial Redbird Invitational. The tournament begins with a match at 11 a.m. against Toledo on Friday, Sept 11, before IUPUI takes on tournament host Illinois State at 8 p.m. The Jags will close the event on Saturday, Sept. 12, at 11 a.m. against Youngstown State.
