Box Score | Box Score (.pdf)

FARGO, N.D. -- The IUPUI volleyball team's record-setting season came to an abrupt end on Friday night, as the Jaguars could never find their rhythm in a 3-0 loss to IPFW in The Summit League Tournament semifinals, played at the Bentson Bunker Fieldhouse on the campus of North Dakota State.  The Jags close the 2009 season with a school-record 20 wins against 10 losses following the 18-25, 21-25, 21-25 defeat.

IUPUI (20-10) never established an offensive rhythm, hitting just .150, while IPFW (19-11) got going midway through the first set and never slowed down, hitting .278 for the match.  The Jaguars had limited the Mastodons to a .128 hitting percentage in the teams' first two meetings this season.

Kalyse Reimbold, named Second Team All-Summit the night before, led the Jaguars with 14 kills in 35 attempts, hitting at a .286 clip.  Both Monica Suding and Ashley Johnson, playing in their final collegiate matches, had solid performances, as Suding hit .300 with 9 kills and Johnson added 5 kills and a .222 hitting mark.

After recording 70 digs in a 3-0 sweep of IPFW on Nov. 6, the Jaguars were out-dug on Friday night, 60-53.  Both Rachel Holmes and Lauran Thompson had 13 digs to lead IUPUI.

Summit League Setter of the Year Danielle Goodnight had 29 assists for the Jaguars.

Early on, it was IUPUI who seemed relaxed, rallying from their typical slow start to gain an 8-5 edge after a Lindsey Weber kill; however, IPFW came right back, going on a 13-6 run to steal momentum and force Steve Payne into taking a timeout with the Jags behind, 18-14.

IPFW had already gotten the ball rolling downhill, however, as they pushed the lead to seven, 22-15, following an IUPUI attack error.  Another attack error closed the set and put IUPUI into an early hole.

Just as in the first set, it was the Jaguars who forced IPFW's hand early, using a Holmes ace and consecutive Suding kills to go in front, 11-10 and cause the Mastodons to burn a timeout.  But again, IPFW struck quickly, going on a 6-1 run to move in front by four, 16-12. 

The 'Dons held the Jaguars at bay, growing their lead to six before IUPUI rallied, getting a kill from Suding and a block by Goodnight and Suding as part of a 4-0 run that brought the Jags with 23-21 and caused IPFW to burn their final timeout of the set.  The break aided IPFW, though, as they picked up the next two points to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.

Still, the Jaguars were used to the situation, having rallied from the same deficit at IPFW on Oct. 10 to force a decisive fifth set.  IUPUI looked game for a rally by jumping out to another early lead, 8-4, getting four straight kills from Reimbold along the way. 

Slowly, though, the Mastodons worked their way back into the set, tying and then taking their first lead of the set since 1-0 on back-to-back service aces, forcing IUPUI to burn a timeout trailing, 16-15.  The 75-second break did not slow IPFW's momentum, as they built a five-point lead before the Jaguars rallied once more.

Weber got things going with a stuff off a Goodnight feed before the setter called her own number and brought the Jags within three at 21-18.  Johnson and Goodnight forced IPFW into a timeout with a block to make it a 22-20 set and the Jaguars were in position to rally for the win. 

It certainly appeared so after an attack error brought the Jags within a point, 22-21, but Rebekah Roehm tallied her 18th and final kill of the night to give the Mastodons a crucial sideout; Roehm then closed the match on her serve as IPFW completed the sweep.

The loss brought an end to a record-setting season for the Jaguars.  Their 20 wins set a new school, Division I record, while their .667 winning percentage was also the best in school history.  Goodnight and Johnson each set individual records, with Goodnight wrapping up her career with 3,930 assists, the best total in school history.  Johnson finished her season with 20 solo blocks, the best single-season toal in the IUPUI record book.

Once again, the Jaguars were near the top of the NCAA digging totals, ranking third in the country with 18.78 digs per set, one year after leading the NCAA Division I in digging.