INDIANAPOLIS – The IU Indy volleyball team battled past Robert Morris in a five-set thriller on Saturday afternoon, defeating the Colonials 3-2 (28-26, 25-22, 28-30, 22-25, 15-12) inside the Jungle. With the victory, the Jaguars completed the weekend sweep and opened Horizon League play with a 2-0 record.
Bailey Sinish led the Jaguar attack with a match-high 20 kills while hitting .298. She added 17 digs, two service aces and two solo blocks to finish with a team-high 24 points. Jillian Tippmann followed with 13 kills and nine digs, while Chloe Macias totaled 10 kills on a .304 hitting percentage and led the Jaguars at the net with six total blocks.
Grace Purichia directed the offense with 50 assists to go along with a team-high 24 digs, five kills and three block assists. Laura Roeder collected 18 digs and two service aces as IU Indy finished the match with 82 digs as a team. The Jaguars totaled 66 kills while holding Robert Morris to a .152 hitting percentage.
The opening set provided an early preview of the back-and-forth match. Robert Morris held a 24-21 advantage before the Jaguars fought off three set points to even the score at 24. The two sides traded points until IU Indy took a 27-26 lead on a Robert Morris service error. Elle Patterson then finished the comeback with a service ace to give the Jags the opening set, 28-26.
IU Indy carried the momentum into the second set. After the score was tied at 22, Sinish put the Jaguars back in front with a kill before Patterson went to the service line. Sinish delivered kills on each of the final two points as IU Indy closed the frame with three straight points for the 25-22 victory and a 2-0 match lead.
Robert Morris refused to go quietly in the third. The Jaguars reached set point at 24-23, but the Colonials answered and the teams battled deep into extra points. With the score tied at 28, Robert Morris used back-to-back points to take the set, 30-28, and extend the match.
The Colonials forced a decisive fifth set with a 25-22 victory in the fourth. IU Indy battled back from a late deficit, cutting the Robert Morris advantage to one at 21-20 and again at 23-22, but the Colonials scored the final two points to even the match at two sets apiece.
IU Indy responded immediately in the fifth, jumping out to a 3-0 lead behind a Robert Morris attack error and kills from Purichia and Sinish. The Jaguars never trailed in the deciding frame. Robert Morris pulled even at 11-11, but IU Indy answered with two straight points, including a Patterson service ace, to regain control at 13-11. After the Colonials cut the lead to one, kills from Ninah Miranda and Macias sealed the 15-12 victory and the weekend sweep.
The five-set battle featured 52 ties and 18 lead changes, with 43 of those ties coming over the opening three sets. IU Indy saved its best offensive performance for the deciding set, recording 10 kills with just two errors on 20 attempts for a .400 hitting percentage.
With the win, IU Indy improves to 7-8 overall and 2-0 in Horizon League play. The Jaguars will now hit the road for the first time in conference action, traveling to Youngstown, Ohio, to begin a two-match series against Youngstown State on Friday, Oct. 2.
