ST. LOUIS -- Facing a St. Louis University lineup that had three starters 6-foot-1 or taller, the IUPUI volleyball team fell, 3-0, in their second game of the Santo Banto Invitational at the Bauman-Eberhardt Center on the campus of Saint Louis University.
IUPUI (5-5) dropped to .500 for the first time since Aug. 25, as they fell 17-30, 27-30, 23-30 to the Billikens, who had 10.0 total team blocks. Sophomore Danielle Goodnight posted a double-double, turning in 25 assists to go along with 16 digs. It was Goodnight's fifth double-double of the year.
For the second straight match, the Jaguars struggled in the first game, falling behind St. Louis (7-2) 8-3 before IUPUI took a timeout. The Jags battled back to come within 10-6, but the Billikens used a 9-2 run to force another timeout and seize control of the first game. St. Louis hit .271 on 19 kills in the first game, compared to IUPUI's six kills.
However, IUPUI nearly even the match at one game apiece, playing the first 20 points of the second game even with St. Louis. Tied at 10-10, the Billikens were able to build a small lead before IUPUI evened the game at 18 following a kill from senior Carol Newell.
With the game still tied at 19, a Billiken kill ignited a 5-0 run that put St. Louis in control of the game at 24-19. Still, the Jaguars came back, capitalizing on three consecutive SLU errors to close to within 27-25, forcing a Billiken timeout. However, the Jaguars ran out of time, as St. Louis picked up three of the next five points to take a two games to none lead.
St. Louis was able to use their height to record 18 kills in the second game, while the Jaguars improved to post 13 kills.
IUPUI raced out to a 10-6 lead in the third game, but St. Louis methodically came back, eventually tying the game at 15. The Billiken run continued until SLU led 21-18, forcing a Jaguar timeout.
Their momentum continued after the timeout, as they quickly built a 26-20 lead and forced the Jags' last timeout. Kills by senior Devika Bellamy and sophomore Monica Suding were not enough to tie the game, as St. Louis took the game, 30-23, and the match. The Billikens were locked in offensively, tallying 21 kills in the third game, hitting .356.
Bellamy had 10 kills for the Jaguars, while junior Chelsea Bastin had her third straight game with double-figure kills, coming away with 16.
The Jaguars will close out the St. Louis Billiken Santo Bento Invitational tonight when they take on Southeast Missouri State at 5:30 p.m. EST.
