INDIANAPOLIS - In the second day of the IUPUI Hampton Inn Invitational Saturday, the FGCU volleyball team fell 3-0 (25-22, 25-15, 25-13) to Illinois State and (25-22, 25-18, 25-18) to host IUPUI.
Poor attacking by FGCU was the biggest difference in the morning match. Illinois State only totaled seven attacking errors and seemed able to stay consistent offensively, while FGCU racked up a total 27 errors. A struggle in blocking was another issue for the Eagles as they failed to post a single team block while the cardinals put up 6.5.
Kaitlin Holm (Fort Myers, Fla./Fort Myers HS/Marshall) and Christine Pinder (Gainesville, Fla./Buchholz HS/Houston/Central Florida CC) led the Eagles offense, putting up seven kills each. Jessica Barnes (Winter Haven, Fla./ Haines City HS) posted all three of FGCU's services aces, while Whitney Masters (Muncie, Ind./Wapahani HS) led the defense with 11 digs. The Cardinals were led by Ashley Rosch with 10 kills and Emily Orrick with 12 digs.
Illinois State hit for a .333 percentage, while FGCU swung at a .076 clip. The Eagles had 36 kills, 41 digs and three service aces to the Cardinals' 37, 45 and five, respectively.
Both FGCU and IUPUI headed into the evening match looking to earn their first win of the season, but the Eagles' efforts fell short.
The teams were even in kills with 39 each and close in digs with FGCU recording 42 to IUPUI's 43. FGCU averaged a .176 hitting percentage, while IUPUI posted a .252 percentage. The biggest difference in the match was seen in the serving game. IUPUI posted nine service aces to FGCU's two, while FGCU had six service errors to IUPUI's three.
Following the traditional pattern FGCU has had in a majority of this season's matches, the first set started point-for-point, with the Eagles always one step ahead of the Jags. A stream of Eagle kills allowed FGCU to lead 15-11, but soon after a few FGCU errors allowed the teams to tie at 20-20. The battle for the final five points didn't come easy for either team with the Eagles ultimately falling 25-22.
The second and third sets were more of the same with close scores in the beginning, but the Jags took control halfway through of each set.
Holm and Olivia Mesner (Boca Raton, Fla./Spanish River HS) led the Eagles in kills with 12, while Kaitlin Hickey led the Jags with 15. Holm and Jill Hooper (Muncie, Ind./Yorktown HS) recorded the two Eagle service aces, while Masters led again with 11 digs.
The Green and Blue return to action next weekend as they travel to Tallahassee for the Seminole Invitational. On Sept. 7 FGCU takes on Ohio State at Noon and Florida State at 7 p.m., and returns Sept. 8 to battle Florida A&M at 1 p.m.
