MUNCIE, Ind. – A mid-week tune-up before a challenging weekend, the IUPUI volleyball team (2-2) flashed signs of greatness during their defeat of Ball State (0-4) Wednesday (Aug. 31), topping the Cardinals in four sets (25-23, 15-25, 25-21, 25-16). The victory pulled the team back to .500 during the earliest part of the season.
The Jags were led by
Kori Waelbroeck, who dominated her way to a 24 kill performance on a .377 attack percentage.
Alexis Mapes continued to distribute well, tossing a season-high 44 assists, while
Logan Walling played error-free offense, picking up 10 kills on a .588 clip.
Gabby Fisher stayed a perfect four-for-four in double-doubles this season, knocking 10 kills with a team-high 14 digs. The Jags out-hit the Cardinals .230 to .214 as a team, and had 10 blocks to Ball State's eight.
The first set featured a smooth performance by both offenses, as hitters from both the Jags and the Cards faced minimal resistance off the block. With both teams hitting above .300 in the first frame, the Jaguars jumped out to a 10-6 lead early on, thanks to a well distributed offense that featured kills from Waelbroeck, Mapes, Walling, and
Abby Boatman. An eventual 6-1 run by the Cardinals both tied and gave Ball State a lead, albeit short-lived. IUPUI countered with a 5-1 run, thanks in large part to four errors, to reclaim a lead they wouldn't relinquish. Although a close set, the Jags would ride Waelbroeck's .571 clip and hot-hand to eight kills and an eventual solo block to end the set, 25-23.
The second set was a tale of two backrows, as the Cardinals stymied the Jaguar' offense. IUPUI hit .000 in the set, committing a total of nine errors and two Ball State blocks. The Cardinals shoveled out 19 digs in the set, while the Jags mustered up just nine. The closest the action got was a 5-5 tie early in the frame, but a 7-2 run by the Cardinals broke the action open. From there, the Ball State offense pushed their team into the set count, hitting .333 in the frame to even things up, 25-15.
The Jaguars returned to what worked for them in the first set, as the offense continued to work through Waelbroeck. Going with the lefty, Waelbroeck punished the Cardinals to the tune of a .533 clip en route to picking up eight more kills. Defensively, the Jaguars limited the Cardinals to a .030 clip in the third set, picking up four blocks, including the first-career solo block for
Jacquie Hornung. After falling behind 15-11, a media timeout seemed to be the difference for IUPUI, as they reclaimed their early form. The Jags fought to an 18-18 tie, before a flurry of kills wrapped up set, 25-21.
Perhaps the most confident showing of the match for IUPUI from start to finish, the fourth set featured another five kills by Waelbroeck, two more for Walling, and a dominant performance. Taking a lead as early as 2-1, the Jaguars would not surrender their score advantage, cruising to victory in the set and match, 25-16. The team swung to the tune of a .308 clip in the final frame, limiting the Cardinals to just .139.
The Jaguars will return to the hardwood on the road Friday (Sep. 2) against Marquette at 5:30 p.m. EST in Wichita, Kansas.
