Box Score

ROCHESTER, Mich. -- The IUPUI volleyball team wrapped up their regular season with a 3-1 loss to Oakland Saturday night at the Athletics Center O'Rena.  With the defeat, the Jaguars will be the fourth seed in the upcoming Summit League Tournament.

IUPUI (16-15, 9-7 Summit) finished with their most wins since the 2003 season, when they finished 16-15.  Lauran Thompson led IUPUI with 11 kills, while Ashley Johnson had 10 in the 15-25, 25-18, 25-16, 22-25 defeat.  The Jags hit just .149 in the match, while Oakland (8-21, 5-11 Summit) hit .301.

The Jaguars came out flat in the opening set, falling behind 1-6 early and causing Steve Payne to burn his first timeout.  IUPUI responded, closing withing three points at 9-12 on a kill by Kalyse Reimbold, but the Grizzlies rebuilt their lead to 15-9, forcing the Jags to burn their second timeout.

However, the Grizzlies maintained momentum, building a lead as large as 11 in winning, 25-15.

Instead of struggling in the beginning, IUPUI played a complete set, pulling away for a 25-18 win.  The Jags built a 13-10 lead, using two kills from Monica Suding to break a 10-10 tie and cause an OU timeout.

Unfortunately for the Jags, Oakland came out of the timeout with a 5-0 run to grab a 15-13 lead and cause Payne to take another timeout.  Whatever Payne said in the huddle seemed to work, as the Jags immediately tied the set, eventually taking a 19-17 lead after blocks by Johnson and Danielle Goodnight.

An Oakland timeout could not stop IUPUI's momentum, as the Jags closed the set on a 6-1 run, taking the set on a Thompson ace.

Early in the pivotal third set, the teams traded poiints, with neither team leading by more than two points; with the score tied at 12, OU used a 3-0 run to build a 15-12 lead and cause an IUPUI timeout.  The Grizzlies kept pushing after the timeout, extending their lead to 22-15 and forcing the Jags' second timeout.

A comeback was not in the cards for IUPUI, as Oakland took the set, 25-16.

Needing a win to knot the match at two sets apiece, the Jaguars hung with the Grizzlies in the outset of the set, before a 4-1 OU run helped the Grizzlies build a 15-11 lead.  Payne took a timeout to rally the team, and IUPUI responded, using a 6-1 run to take a 17-16 advantage and force an Oakland timeout.

The break was well-timed for OU, as they took the first point after the timeout to tie the set.  The teams traded points, exchanging the lead two times before the Grizzlies took consecutive points in building a 23-21 lead.

After an IUPUI timeout, Oakland took two of the next three points to claim the set and match, 25-22.

Still, the Jaguars qualified for The Summit League Tournament after a one-year absence.  IUPUI will take on No. 1 seed North Dakota State in the first round.  The match is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. CT from the Cooper Aerobics Center in Tulsa, Okla.