MOUNT PLEASANT – Megan McVey (So.-Fort Worth, Tex.) had 16 kills and B.J. Wagy (Jr.-Cedar Rapids, Iowa) added 14 kills but Viterbo (Wis.) University came back to win the final two sets to defeat the Iowa Wesleyan College volleyball team in five sets Wednesday night at Ruble Arena.
The V-Hawks outlasted IWC 25-21, 29-25, 24-26, 26-24, 15-10 in the matchup of Midwest Collegiate Conference teams. The Tigers gave the visitors all they could handle and played possibly their strongest home match of the season, but a soft spot early in the fifth set was the main difference between the two teams on this evening.
Viterbo put together an 8-1 run early in the fifth set for a 9-3 lead and control of the deciding game. IWC eventually closed within four points late before Viterbo closed out to improve to 28-10 overall (5-2 in MCC) while Wesleyan dropped to 16-12 overall, 3-4 in conference.
Wesleyan got off to a good start, leading 9-4 in the first game before the V-Hawks came back. Viterbo tied the score at 14-14 and the teams were close down the stretch until the visitors scored five of the final six points.
The Tigers came back with a solid win in the second set and then won a terrific third set, coming back from a six-point deficit. Katie Jammer (Jr.-Green Bay, Wis.) served six straight points and Wagy had nine kills in the third set alone as IWC took the lead late and then fought off a set point to eventually win.
Viterbo came back with a win in an equally exciting fourth set that was tied on 15 different occasions. The Tigers again fought off one set point trailing 24-23, but the V-Hawks came up with a block on a second set point to tie the match and then carried the momentum over into the fifth set.
Jammer joined McVey and Wagy in double figures in kills with 11, while Kendra Zimmerman (Jr.-Green Bay, Wis.) had 48 assists. Jammer led the team with 21 kills and Allegra Tennis (Jr.-Madison, Wis.) had five blocks (three solo).
The Tigers posted a .127 hitting percentage in the match with 60 kills to 36 hitting errors in 189 attempts. The V-Hawks hit .177 and also had 11 blocks in the match.
IWC concludes its regular season on Monday when it hosts Grand View University, currently the second-place team in the MCC standings. The Tigers will face the Vikings at 7 p.m. and the team’s two seniors, Katie Leidl (Esterhazy, Saskatchewan) and Brittany Richardson (Benton, Ill.) will be honored before the match.
For more information regarding the IWC volleyball program or any of the Tiger athletic teams, contact sports information director Adam Glatczak (319-385-6306 phone; 319-385-6384 FAX; aglatczak@iwc.edu e-mail) or log on to IWC's athletics web site at www.iwc.edu/athletics.
Box score Viterbo 3 IWC 2
