INDIANAPOLIS – The IU Indy volleyball team opened Horizon League play with a dominant straight-set victory over Robert Morris on Friday night inside the Jungle. The Jaguars took all three sets, 25-16, 25-22 and 25-17, to earn the 3-0 sweep and improve to 6-8 overall and 1-0 in conference play.
The Jaguars were efficient on the attack throughout the night, finishing with 42 kills while hitting .372 as a team. IU Indy committed just 10 attack errors on 86 attempts while holding the Colonials to a .138 hitting percentage. The Jags also held advantages in kills (42-26), assists (39-25), digs (37-27) and service aces (7-4).
Jillian Tippmann led a balanced IU Indy attack with 11 kills on a .409 hitting percentage. The sophomore added 10 digs for her second double-double of the season. Tippmann also added a match-high three service aces. Bailey Sinish followed with 10 kills, while Chloe Macias was highly efficient in the middle, putting down seven kills on nine attempts for a .667 hitting percentage. Amanda Stephens added seven kills while hitting .462. Grace Purichia directed the offense with a match-high 29 assists and added a team-high 11 digs. Laura Roeder chipped in four assists, three digs and two service aces.
IU Indy set the tone immediately in the opening frame. The Jaguars never trailed and hit a blistering .522 with 14 kills and only two errors on 23 swings. After building a 12-8 advantage, IU Indy continued to pull away before an attack error by Robert Morris sealed the 25-16 opening-set victory.
Robert Morris made the second set much tighter, jumping out to an early advantage before IU Indy battled back. The Jags erased a 12-10 deficit with three straight points and eventually built a 21-17 lead. The Colonials cut the margin to one at 23-22, but a Bailey Sinish kill gave IU Indy set point before Tippmann finished the frame with a service ace, 25-22. The Jaguars recorded 19 kills and hit .425 in the second set.
The Jaguars quickly took control in the third. With the score tied at 2-2, IU Indy used a 4-0 run to take a 6-2 advantage and never surrendered the lead. Robert Morris pulled within six at 19-13, but the Jags closed out the match comfortably, taking the final set 25-17 to complete the sweep.
The Jaguars and Colonials will close out the weekend series tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 26, with first serve set for 3:00 PM inside the Jungle.
