Box Score Box Score | Highlights

INDIANAPOLIS – Behind 16 kills from Moriah Fair and a combined 20 kills and .313 hitting percentage from Bethany Fogler and Kelsey Hoefer, the IUPUI volleyball team downed UMKC, 3-1, Friday evening at The Jungle in its Summit League opener.

The win moved IUPUI to 7-5 overall and 1-0 in the conference, while the Kangaroos fell to 7-6 overall and 0-1 in the league.

“We came out a little sluggish, but I thought we bounced back in sets three and four and really played well,” said head coach Steve Payne. “Everyone did their job tonight from our hitters, to our passers and to our blockers, and it’s always good to get a win in your conference opener.”

Fair led all players with 16 kills, while Fogler, Hoefer and Kaitlyn Hickey each tallied 10 kills to give IUPUI a balanced offensive attack. Defensively, Beth Howard notched a match-best 27 digs helping the Jags out-dig the ‘Roos, 71-64.

In the opening set, kills by Hickey, Kortni Wright and Hoefer kickstarted a five-point run that took a one-point lead and moved it to a six-point lead at 15-9. The lead grew to as many as seven on a Fogler kill, but UMKC managed to fight back and climb within three, 21-18, thanks in part to its blocking. Holding on to a two-point lead and while owning set point, a kill by Hoefer secured a 25-22 opening-set win.

The ‘Roos quickly retaliated in set two using a handful of aces to take a 10-7 advantage. IUPUI cut its deficit to two at 11-9, but that would be as close as the Jags got the remainder of the set. UMKC continued to slowly expand its lead and used an Emily Lucas kill to finish off a 25-17 second-set win, knotting the match at a set apiece.

Five ties ensued out of the break before a solo block and back-to-back kills from Fair pushed IUPUI in front, 11-8. The lead moved to four at 19-15, but a Fair kill preceded three straight Kangaroos attack errors doubling the Jags lead to eight, 23-15. Down the stretch, a kill by Wright and Fair’s fourth kill of the set closed out a 25-17 third-set Jags win.

Using the momentum gained from its set-three win, IUPUI took control early in set four using a pair of blocks and four kills to capture a 7-3 lead. A side out by UMKC on the next point closed its deficit to three, but it never threatened from that point on. Fair and Hickey combined for nine kills in the fourth set and as a team, IUPUI hit .268 as it cruised to a 25-20 fourth-set win.

The Jags continue Summit League play on Saturday, Sept. 15, when South Dakota comes to The Jungle for a 5 p.m. start. South Dakota also earned a 3-1 win in its conference opener Friday at Western Illinois.