INDIANAPOLIS, IND. - The Western Illinois volleyball team was back in action Tuesday night (Nov. 11), taking on league-leading IUPUI. The Jaguars got the best of the Leathernecks, taking a 3-0 match. The decision drops Western to 5-22 (3-11), while IUPUI improved to 18-11 (12-2) on the season.
"We didn't have the fire we needed right out of the game. We waited until the third set to get into the match and unfortunately it was too late," said head coach
April Hall. "We made some changes that made us more dynamic and it worked well for us.
Elyse Keating stepped in tonight and was able to set a great offense. Although I am glad we were able to pick up our intensity in the third set, as a unit we know that we need to show more sooner in order to win match. Friday and Sunday end our season for us, and I know we can end with our heads held high."
The Jaguars quickly built a 2-0 lead in the match thanks to a 25-10 victory in the first set, and a 25-15 set two victory. The Leathernecks mixed up their offense in the second set, as sophomore
Elyse Keating made her Leatherneck debut. Keating found
Samantha Fournier on the right side for a kill to make the score 7-4 in favor of IUPUI early in the second. The assist marks the first in Keating's career, after transferring into the program following her freshman year. Western fought to the very end, closing the set on a 6-2 run, but fell short to the host Jaguars.
Out of intermission, Western hung tough with IUPUI, as there were five ties early in the set. Fournier found another kill, this time from
Molly Murphy to knot things up at 6-all. Following the Fournier kill, the Jaguars used a 4-0 run to pull away and force a Leatherneck timeout. Western would battle until the end, but ultimately dropped the final set, 25-19.
Offensively, Fournier would pace the Purple and Gold Tuesday night, as she recorded a double-double with 10 kills and 13 assists. Keating would end her first match as a Leatherneck with nine assists.
Peyton Crosser added six kills and
Molly Murphy recorded eight digs to help Western Illinois.
The Leathernecks close out the season this upcoming weekend, as they travel to take on Omaha and South Dakota State. The match against the Mavs is set for Friday (Nov. 14), while the following night (Saturday, Nov. 15) Western heads north to take on the Jackrabbits. First serve on for both matches is slated for 7 p.m.
