Box Score

INDIANAPOLIS -- The IUPUI volleyball team has proven itself a squad to be reckoned with should the Jaguars reach The Summit League Tournament.  While the Jags lost to North Dakota State, 3-1, Saturday night at The Jungle, IUPUI acquitted itself well against The Summit League's top team.

IUPUI (14-12, 7-5 Summit) began the night with a celebration of its senior class, led by libero Chelsea Bastin.  Bastin led the country's top back row with 19 digs, as the Jaguars turned in 97 digs in the 22-25, 23-25, 25-23, 21-25 defeat.  Rachel Holmes had 19 digs to match Bastin, while Danielle Goodnight had another double-double with 41 assists and 17 digs.  Shari Bernhardt chipped in with 15 digs.

The Jaguars got off to a slow start against North Dakota State (18-3, 12-0 Summit), the only undefeated team in Summit League play.  The Bison got off to an 8-3 lead, forcing IUPUI into an early timeout.  Still, the Jaguars kept battling, causing NDSU to burn a timeout following a Holmes ace that made it 15-10 in favor of the Bison.

IUPUI kept coming at North Dakota State, getting a kill from Bernhardt and a block from Kalyse Reimbold to close within a point and force the Bison into their final timeout of the set.  Coming out of the break, NDSU used consecutive kills to reopen a three-point lead and cause Steve Payne to take his final timeout.

The Jags closed to within two points on three separate occasions, but North Dakota State proved resiliant in the opening set, winning, 25-22.

While the first set saw no lead changes or ties, the second set had seven ties and three exchanges of the lead.  As the first set began, so too did the second set, with North Dakota State jumping out to an early 5-1 lead, using four straight kills to force an IUPUI timeout.

Just as they had in the opening set, the Jaguars kept battling, using their back row to stay in the set, graudally working their way to a 14-14 tie after a kill by Nicole Jenkins.  Following a Bison timeout, the Jaguars took a brief 16-15 lead on another Jenkins kill. 

North Dakota State took four of the next five points, however, opening a 19-17 lead and causing another IUPUI timeout.  Just as they had earlier, the Jaguars rallied, using a small run to come within 20-21 on a Reimbold kill, forcing a Bison timeout.

However, just as in the first set, North Dakota State was able to hang on, taking the final two points of the set to win, 25-23.

IUPUI turned the tables on North Dakota State in the third set, getting off to a quick start in their 25-23 win.  The Jags raced to a 7-3 lead, using kills from Monica Suding, Ashley Johnson and Reimbold along the way.

Following a NDSU timeout, the Jaguars extended their lead to eight, at 14-6, before the Bison took three straight points to cause Payne to burn a timeout.  Kills by Johnson and Jenkins helped the Jaguars maintain their lead, pushing it to 18-13 when NDSU took their final timeout of the set.

The Bison eventually closed within a point at 23-22, but Suding came through with a kill to give the Jaguars their first set point of the evening, and on their second attempt, Reimbold tallied a kill to hand the Jags a 25-23 win.

Needing one more win to force a decisive fifth set, the Jaguars and Bison traded the lead four times in the fourth set, and found themselves tied nine times.  Neither team led by more than three points early on, and with the score tied at 15, North Dakota State used two consecutive kills to go up 17-15 and force a Jaguar timeout.

Just as they had all evening, the Jags kept fighting, as Lauran Thompson recorded on of her four kills to knot the set at 17; after a Bison run, consecutive NDSU errors cut the Jags' deficit to 19-20.  Still, the Bison showed why they were The Summit League's only undefeated team, taking two of the next three points to go up 22-20 and force IUPUI's final timeout of the set.

North Dakota State took the first point following the timeout, and after a service error, converted the next opportunity to win the set and match, 25-21.

Suding had 10 kills for the Jaguars, while Reimbold tallied a team-high 12.

With four matches remaining, IUPUI sits two games ahead of South Dakota State for a berth in The Summit League Volleyball Championships.

The Jaguars will be back in action on Friday, November 7, when they begin a four-match road trip at UMKC.  The match will begin at 7 p.m. CT from the Swinney Recreation Center.