MACOMB, Ill. – Looking to right the ship after a four-match losing streak, the IUPUI volleyball team (12-18, 8-7) was victorious in straight-sets (25-17, 25-18, 25-19) Friday (Nov. 11), dropping Western Illinois (4-27, 1-14) to move back to a winning record in Summit League play.
Hitting .402 as a team, the Jags picked up six blocks to five for Western Illinois. IUPUI was led by
Gabby Fisher who had 14 kills in the match on a ridiculous .619 clip, while
Kori Waelbroeck added 10 kills and 12 digs.
Logan Walling had nine kills on a .615 attack percentage, picking up four blocks with one solo.
Alexis Mapes had 42 assists and five digs, while
Abby Boatman had five kills while hitting .500.
After settling to a 10-10 tie to begin the night, a block by Walling and Waelbroeck gave the Jags a one-point edge. That advantage would prove to hold up, as the Jags went off on a 4-0 run to take their biggest lead to that point. Kills by Walling, Boatman and McKayla Wright pushed the Jags to a 19-13 lead, forcing the Leathernecks into a timeout. The break didn't matter, as despite a 3-0 run by WIU, IUPUI managed to close out the first set with relative ease, 25-17. The Jags hit .405 in the set, picking up five blocks as a team. Walling led all Jags with five blocks in the set and three blocks.
After taking a five-point lead in the early goings of the second set, the Leathernecks found a way to fire back, igniting a 3-0 run thanks in part to a pair of blocks. With the score at 10-8, the Jags responded with their own 6-2 run, capitalizing on five combined kills from Fisher, Waelbroeck and Wright. It became a battle of scorings run after that point, as a 4-0 run by WIU was countered by a 5-0 run from IUPUI. The teams exchanged jabs in the late going, with the Jags eventually pulling out the set, 25-18.
Despite the Jags taking a fair lead, Western Illinois utilized a 4-1 run to tie the game midway through the third frame, 14-14. From there, the Jags went on a 5-1 run, receiving kills from Waelbroeck, Mapes and Fisher to make it 19-15. Kills from Fisher and Waelbroeck down the stretch allowed the Jags to cruise late, as the Leathernecks committed three errors to hand IUPUI the set and the match, 25-19.
With the victory, IUPUI will travel to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to close out the 2016 regular season prior to the Summit League Tournament.
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