The IU Indianapolis Jaguars (3-3) outlasted the Akron Zips (1-5) in five sets Saturday at the Jungle, closing out the Hampton Inn Invitational at home.
IU Indy won 25-14, 16-25, 25-22, 17-25, 15-12, taking the decider after trailing late in the fifth.
Both teams traded points early in the opener before the Jaguars pulled away, winning seven of eight rallies to turn an 11-8 lead into an 18-9 cushion. Senior setter Grace Purichia and freshman outside hitter Bailey Sinish served aces during the run, and senior outside hitter Maia Long closed the set with an ace of her own.
The second set stayed close until the Jaguars tied it at 10. Five IU Indy errors then swung the momentum, and the Zips ran off an 8-1 stretch on the way to a 25-16 win that evened the match.
Akron carried that into the third, jumping out 8-3. Kills from Sinish and sophomore opposite Jillian Tippmann pulled the Jaguars back in. Purichia and sophomore middle blocker Amanda Stephens added three kills each to help seal the 25-22 win and a 2-1 match lead.
The Zips rebounded in the fourth, opening 5-2. IU Indy answered with a string of kills to tie it at 11 before Akron closed on a 14-6 run that included six kills, two aces and six Jaguars errors, taking the set 25-17 and forcing a fifth.
The decider went back and forth. IU Indy took the first point, and the teams traded to an 8-8 tie before a Sinish service ace nudged the Jaguars ahead. Akron pushed back in front at 11-10, but IU Indy closed on a 5-1 run, with Tippmann ending it on a kill for the 15-12 win.
IU Indy hit .230 for the match with 65 kills, 59 assists, 10 service aces, 10 errors and six blocks, according to IU Indy Athletics. Tippmann and Sinish each led the team with 19 kills. Purichia had 50 assists, and junior middle blocker Lila Britt led with a .385 hitting percentage. Tippmann was named to the Hampton Inn All-Tournament team after the three-match weekend.
The Jaguars, 3-3 overall heading into Horizon League play, next travel to Purdue at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday in West Lafayette.
"We are gonna have to have an A+ game," head coach Andrew Kroger said postgame. "But we are gonna go in and attack and put some pressure on them and then see what happens. But a lot easier doing all of those things coming off a win, feeling good about what we are doing, so we have a couple of days of practice here. We are really gonna have to really, really attack because they're a really good team."
Danny Rivera is a freshman in the Sports Capital Journalism Program. He enjoys watching sports, going outside, playing basketball and listening to music in his free time.
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