Box Score

INDIANAPOLIS -- The IUPUI volleyball team dropped their opening match of the IUPUI Hampton Inn Invitational, 3-0, to Western Michigan on Saturday afternoon.  The Jaguars permitted the Broncos to hit .283 in the 25-18, 25-14, 25-19 defeat.

IUPUI (0-5) struggled offensively, failing to establish rhythm for most of the match.  Brittany Anglemyer, who earned all-tournament honors at the MSU Showcase last week, led the Jaguars with 6 kills and a .200 hitting percentage.

Western Michigan (4-1) pulled away midway through the opening set, using an 8-3 run to turn a two-point lead into a seven-point bulge at 18-11.  Prior to that, the Jaguars went toe-to-toe with the Broncos, reeling off three straight points early to prevent WMU from pulling away early.  

Dana Gardner got the rally started off a feed from Shari Bernhardt, and Kalyse Reimbold followed it up with her lone service ace of the match.

Still, Western Michigan claimed the set with strong outside hitting, moving swiftly from the initial touch to attacking at the net.

Undaunted, IUPUI jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the second, getting back-to-back kills from Jessica Phelps to build early momentum.  An attack error and an Anglemyer gave the Jags their largest lead of the match, but the match turned on the service of Western Michigan's Gillian Asque.

On Asque's serve, the Broncos took the next 10 consecutive points and 15 of the next 17.  Though the Jaguars concluded the match by playing Western Michigan nearly even at 9-7, the Broncos went up two sets to none heading into the 10-minute intermission.

The Jaguars were more active in the third set, as Anglemyer and Lauran Thompson each chipped in 3 kills; still, Western Michigan defended with a 69-percent sideout percentage, holding off IUPUI down the stretch to claim the sweep.

IUPUI will meet DePaul in their second match of the IUPUI Hampton Inn Invitational.  The match can be followed online at the tournament website and begins at 7 p.m. ET.