Red Wolves - IU East

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The Red Wolves earned their postgame meal with a milestone win Aug. 25 at Marian University.

The Red Wolves rallied from a two-game deficit for the first time in the program's history with a 24-26, 23-25, 25-20, 25-16, 15-10 win.

It's IU East's first win against a team ranked in the top 40 in the Tachikara-NAIA Volleyball Coaches' Poll.

Marian (0-1) entered the game ranked 32nd. IU East (5-0) is 38th in the poll.

It was IU East's first win in six NAIA matches against Marian.

The Red Wolves enjoyed a postgame spread at the home of sophomore setter Lauren Crump (Indianapolis, Ind./Scecina Memorial High School), who grew up a few minutes from the Marian campus.

Crump told the IU East traveling party before the game that they wouldn't get to eat unless they won.

It looked like the Wolves would go home hungry before IU East turned the tide.

"What a match," said Red Wolves coach Charlie Brown. "It's a coaches nightmare, but also a coaches dream, to come back from two games down."

"It's a great feeling to compete against a team receiving votes in the national polls."

The Red Wolves never trailed by more than four points during the first two games, but also never gained a meaningful lead. Marian won both games by the narrowest of margins.

"When you're in that situation, it's do or die," said IU East sophomore Kristin Waechter (Muncie, Ind./Daleville High School), who provided a spark from the libero position for the last three games.

"Paige (Lay, a junior right side hitter) said it best. Never give up."

The momentum seemed to shift when the Red wolves won a long point midway through the third game. Freshman middle hitter Caitlin Burroughs (Richmond, Ind./Northestern High School) dug up a thunderous attack by a Marian player and the Red Wolves went on to win the point.

Suddenly, IU East was a free-swinging, ball-chasing bunch. The Red Wolves surged on the strength of a huge night from sophomore middle hitter Breezy Strete (Troy, Ohio/Troy High School), who finished with 23 kills on a .526 hitting percentage.

Freshman Allison Nicley (Lebanon, Ind./Western Boone High School), Burroughs and Lay (Bloomington/Normal, Ill./Parkland College) combined for 36 kills of their own.

Games 3 and 4 were Red Wolves runaways.

IU East went ahead for good at 4-3 in the fifth game.

A long point that had both teams scrambling got the Red Wolves to match point.

An emphatic kill from Nicley ended it.

"I'm just so excited," Waechter said. "We have plenty of matches left against teams like this, and I'm ready to go play them!"

The Red Wolves return to action Aug. 27 and 28 at the University of Rio Grande Aces in August Classic.

Click here to view the IU East-Marian box score.