UPLAND, Ind. — Indiana Wesleyan Women's Volleyball edged Taylor in a thrilling five-set match on Saturday afternoon, winning 25-20, 27-29, 25-23, 20-25, 19-17. The Wildcats' offense was led by a total of 71 kills, overcoming the Trojans' 16 total blocks.
Abbigail Porter guided the offense with 51 assists and picked up a career high 25 digs on the defensive side.
THE ESSENTIALS
- Location: Taylor University | Upland, Ind.
- Records: IWU - 23-4, 16-1 | TU - 19-10, 10-7
- NAIA Top-25 Ranking: IWU - #5 | TU - RV
SET ONE
- Indiana Wesleyan took an early 2-0 lead with a service ace by Dayessi Luis and a block by Marissa Mullins and Eva Joldersma.
- Taylor closed the gap to 6-6, capitalizing on two attack errors from the Wildcats.
- With the set tied at 14-14, Indiana Wesleyan surged ahead with a kill from Mullins and maintained their edge through solid blocking.
- The red and grey finished strong, winning 25-20, after consecutive points, including a kill by Joldersma and an attack error by the Trojans.
SET TWO
- IWU opened with a 3-0 lead, highlighted by two kills from Joldersma.
- Indiana Wesleyan built a 17-9 advantage with a 6-1 run, featuring three kills from Joldersma.
- Taylor mounted a comeback to tie the set at 23-23.
- Taylor secured the set 29-27, capitalizing on an attack error by Indiana Wesleyan.
SET THREE
- The Wildcats pulled ahead to an 8-4 lead, highlighted by Joldersma's service ace and consecutive kills from Marin Sanchez.
- TU closed the gap with a 5-0 run, including a service ace, to tie the set at 9-9.
- Indiana Wesleyan responded with a 4-0 stretch, capped by a service ace from Abbigail Porter, to take a 17-14 lead.
- The red and grey secured the set 25-23 on a Joldersma kill, concluding a tight finish.
SET FOUR
- Indiana Wesleyan gained an early 4-2 lead with two kills by Joldersma, both assisted by Porter.
- Taylor responded with a 5-2 run, highlighted by a service ace, to move ahead 9-7.
- The Wildcats surged back to tie the set at 10-10, helped by a service ace from Luis.
- TU closed the set on a 5-0 run, featuring two service aces, to secure the set 25-20.
SET FIVE
- Indiana Wesleyan opened with a 2-0 lead, aided by kills from Mullins and Joldersma.
- Taylor responded, taking a 5-3 advantage, prompting an IWU timeout.
- The Wildcats rallied back to tie the score at 11-11 with a kill by Shae Williams and an attack error by Taylor.
- Indiana Wesleyan secured the set and match with a final 19-17 score, capitalizing on a block by Mullins and Sanchez.
KEY WILDCATS
LOOKING AHEAD
- The Wildcats return home to face Goshen for the final regular season match of the season on November 5th at 7:00 PM.
- Links for live stats and video can be found at IWUWildcats.com.
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