MOUNT PLEASANT – Ashford University took advantage of 31 hitting errors by Iowa Wesleyan College, spoiling the home debut of the Tiger volleyball team with a four-set win Wednesday night at Ruble Arena.
The Saints defeated IWC 25-22, 23-25, 25-21 and 25-17, handing the Tigers their first Midwest Collegiate Conference loss of the season. Wesleyan dropped to 7-4 overall (2-1 in conference) while Ashford improved to 9-8 overall, 2-1 in the MCC.
The Tigers finished with more kills than the Saints (55-52) but also had 14 more attack errors than the visitors. Ashford had just 17 hitting errors over four sets and posted a .235 hitting percentage for the match.
IWC struggled for much of the match, putting together its best extended streak of play at the end of the second set. The Tigers trailed the entire set until finishing on a 9-3 run to pull the set out. Katie Jammer (Jr.-Green Bay, Wis.) deposited an overpass by the Saints for a kill to give Wesleyan its first lead of the set at 23-22, and a block by Allegra Tennis (Jr.-Madison, Wis.) and Brittany Janz (Jr.-Tonica, Ill.) gave IWC the win to tie the match.
Ashford won the first and fourth sets by overcoming an early Tiger advantage and never trailed in winning the third set. The Saints gained control of the fourth set by turning a 3-0 deficit into a 10-4 lead and eventually led by as many as 11 points.
B.J. Wagy (Jr.-Cedar Rapids, Iowa) and Megan McVey (So.-Fort Worth, Texas) led Wesleyan with 11 kills each. Jammer and Tennis both had 10 kills and Janz added a career-high nine kills. Kendra Zimmerman (Jr.-Green Bay, Wis.) had 43 assists and Jammer led the team with 16 digs.
IWC is back on the court Friday when it plays in the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Invitational. The Tigers open the two-day tourney with a match in the afternoon against Elmhurst (Ill.) College at 3 p.m.
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 Ashford 3 IWC 1
