Red Wolves - IU East

RIO GRANDE, Ohio -- The fire alarm works fine, but they might be double-checking the burglar alarm in the University of Rio Grande gymnasium after the Indiana University East volleyball team stole a victory there Saturday morning.

The Red Wolves (6-0) saved three match points in the fifth game of their 25-17, 20-25, 26-24, 22-25, 16-14 victory against Rio Grande.

IU East also made a big comeback in Game 3, rallying from a 12-2 deficit and saving a pair of game points.

"The girls could have easily given up, but these girls are getting used to playing tough matches," IU East Coach Charlie Brown said. "As a coach you hate (close games), but on the flip side you like them because you learn to be mentally tougher, especially with a young team.

"I couldn't be happier for the girls. They could have laid down, and they didn't."

IU East is now 9-2 this season in games decided by three points or less.

The marathon match started after a 17-minute delay caused by an inadvertent fire alarm during the pregame introductions. Rio Grande (2-2) then had multiple opportunities to extinguish the Red Wolves' perfect season.

The RedStorm reeled off 10 consecutive points in one stretch spanning from the end of Game 2 through the start of Game 3. Rio Grande would lead 12-2 in the third game, but IU East rallied. The Red Wolves tied the game for the first time at 24. A tough kill by Brandie Sanders (Indianapolis/Pike High School) off of a loose pass put IU East ahead 26-25. A kill in the middle of the court by Jessica White (Sheldon, Ill./Kankakee Community College) gave the Red Wolves the pivotal game.

Rio Grande took the fourth game and led for almost all of Game 5. The RedStorm had three match points at 14-11, but IU East saved them all.

"We said, we're not going to go all the way to five games and not finish," said freshman defensive specialist Akeyta Mayes (Indianapolis/Lawrence North High School). "They almost got us, but we came back, and we weren't going to let them defeat us."

The Red Wolves took the lead at 15-14 on a rare Rio Grande hitting error. IU East won it on a stuff by Breezy Strete (Troy, Ohio/Troy High School) and Stacie Muir (Noblesville, Ind./Noblesville High School).

The Red Wolves players celebrated. The RedStorm players could only look at each other with stunned expressions.

"We pushed through that and kept working and kept working and pulled it out," sophomore outside hitter Courtney Flory said.

Strete put away 15 kills to lead IU East. Sanders had 13 kills and 17 digs. Mayes made 14 digs. Madison Qualkenbush (New Castle, Ind./New Castle High School) was 26-for-26 on serve reception. Kristin Waechter (Muncie, Ind./Daleville High School) and Lauren Crump (Indianapolis/Scecina High School) served up three aces apiece.