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INDIANAPOLIS -- Down two sets to none, the IUPUI volleyball team rallied to force a fourth set but ran out of gas, dropping a 3-1 decision to Indiana State Tuesday night at The Jungle, 20-25, 22-25, 25-20, 19-25.

Dana Gardner had 12 kills for the Jaguars, her best performance since a 16-kill effort against UMKC on Oct. 4, 2008.  The senior led IUPUI (0-4) with a .233 hitting percentage.

Indiana State's (3-1) front row controlled the match, recording 14 blocks, contributing to 33 IUPUI attack errors.  Both Ana Maria Charun and Auriel Armstrong had 8 blocks for the Sycamores and contributed 14 and 10 kills, respectively.

After struggling out of the gate in their first three matches, IUPUI came out strong in the first set, forcing Indiana State into an early timeout after a Jessica Phelps kill gave the Jags an 11-7 advantage.  The Jaguars stretched their lead to five on three separate occasions, as late as 15-10, but the Sycamores climbed back into the game with their front row.

Five straight Sycamore points made it a 19-17 game for ISU, and after a block by Charun, IUPUI took a timeout trailing, 21-20.  Three straight Jaguar attack errors gave Indiana State a set point, and Armstrong converted off a feed to give ISU the opening set.

Though IUPUI took a quick 4-1 lead in the second, Indiana State controlled the set, taking six of seven points after the score was tied at 7 to build a five-point advantage.  The Sycamores held IUPUI at bay until late in the set, when a Gardner kill brought the Jaguars within two, 19-71, and pushed Indiana State into a timeout.

A block gave Indiana State a three-point lead, and the Sycamores held the lead the rest of the way in a 25-22 win.

Down two sets, the Jaguars could have packed up and began preparations for the upcoming Hampton Inn Invitational, especially after Indiana State took a 6-2 lead.  Instead, IUPUI rallied together, stringing seven straight points around an ISU timeout to assume a 9-6 cushion.

Gardner had two kills in the stretch, while Lauran Thompson had back-to-back kills to build the momentum early in the run. 

The Jaguars kept the pressure on the Sycamores, stretching their lead to six on the strength of five attack errors by ISU. 

Indiana State did rally, closing within two points at 18-16, but IUPUI refused to buckle, getting a kill from Phelps off a tight feed from Alexis Meeks to build the lead back to three; Meeks fed Thompson and Gardner in the next two services to give the Jags a five-point cushion, helping IUPUI cut their deficit in half with a 25-20 win.

Midway through the fourth set, it looked as if IUPUI would rally to force a decisive fifth set.  A block by Phelps and Gardner broke a 10-10 tie, and after a Phelps kill, Indiana State took a timeout, trailing 12-10.  The Jaguars were able to hold off the Sycamores, extending the lead to three at 17-14, but the roof caved in soon after.

Utilizing the service of Armstrong, Indiana State reeled off four straight points to take an 18-17 lead; with momentum on their side, the Sycamores took seven of the next nine services to claim the match.

IUPUI will be back in action throughout Labor Day weekend, when they host the Hampton Inn Invitational.  The Jaguars will first meet Western Michigan at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 4.  For more information on the invitational, click here.