Box Score

INDIANAPOLIS -- A lack of communication and intensity routinely haunted the IUPUI volleyball team throughout their match against Ball State Tuesday night, as the Cardinals swept the Jaguars, 3-0, at The Jungle.  IUPUI's three-match winning streak came to end, but the Jags maintained the school-record start to the season.

IUPUI (8-2) was never able to get into a strong offensive or defensive flow during the evening, hitting just .146 for the match while allowing Ball State (6-4) to hit .305.  The Cardinals, who won their fifth match in a row, tallied 44 digs in the three sets to go along with 12 team blocks.

"We just lacked communication and intensity from the start, and it hurt us tonight," head coach Steve Payne said.  "We couldn't establish a rhythm tonight for some reason."

For the Jaguars, Ashley Johnson led the offense, hitting .250 with 11 kills.

Even with the numbers stacked against them, IUPUI had opportunities in each set to come back and either take the lead or tie the set.  Unfortunately for the Jaguars, it seemed as if Ball State had the answer on each possession to hold off IUPUI.

As they had in earlier matches, the Jaguars got off to a slow start, as Ball State used an early 7-1 run to open a four-point advantage and force Payne into a timeout.  The Cardinals eventually stretched their lead to eight on a block by Kelsey Brandl and Julie Breivogel, but IUPUI rallied after another timeout.

Monica Suding picked up three of her four kills in an eight-point stretch that saw IUPUI trim their deficit to four at 19-15, forcing Ball State into a timeout.  However, Ball State set a tone for the night, getting a key side out on a kill from Charde' Phillips to reopen a five-point lead.

IUPUI closed within three points on two more occasions, but Ball State countered with a Phillips kill to push the lead to 21-17; at 23-20, an IUPUI error gave the Cardinals a set point, which they converted on a Brandl kill.

Trailing early, the Jaguars came out more aggressively in the second set, holding Ball State off until midway through the set.  A 5-2 Cardinal run gave BSU a 13-11 advantage, forcing Payne to burn a timeout.

This time, IUPUI responded, capitalizing on three Ball State errors and using a Kalyse Reimbold kill to knot the set at 15.  The teams traded points to 18 before the Cardinals were able to string together three points to take a vital 21-18 lead.

The Jaguars would attempt another comeback, but could come within a point of Ball State as the teams traded sideouts to the end of the set, allowing the Cardinals to go up, 2-0.

In the third set, the Jags again fell behind, but gave themselves a chance to claim control of the set, battling back within a point at 14-13.  However, Ball State came through again, taking the next two points to force IUPUI into a timeout.

Regrouping, the Jaguars used three straight kills by Rachel Holmes, Lauran Thompson and Johnson to close to 21-19, forcing Ball State to burn its second timeout of the set.  As they seemingly had all night, the Cardinals picked up the sideout when they needed it most, claiming the next two points to go up, 23-19. 

After an attack error gave Ball State match point, the Jaguars responded on the serve of Thompson, using three errors by the Cardinals to close within a point of tying the set.  However, an IUPUI error closed the match.

"We just need to be more focused and intense heading into the weekend," Payne said.  "With conference play here, we need to win at home and we should play better than we showed tonight."

The Jaguars will wrap up their eight-match homestand on Friday and Saturday, when they host UMKC and Southern Utah, respectively.  Both matches will start at 7 p.m. and will be carried by IUPUI Live!.