Box Score | Highlights | Steve Payne Postgame Interview

INDIANAPOLIS – Sixteen kills from Kelsey Hoefer and 13 kills courtesy of Bethany Fogler paced the IUPUI volleyball team as the Jags downed South Dakota, 3-1 (25-20, 34-32, 19-25, 25-22), Saturday evening at The Jungle.

The win upped IUPUI’s record to 8-5 overall and 2-0 in the Summit League, while South Dakota fell to 7-6 overall and 1-1 in the conference. By defeating both UMKC and South Dakota this weekend, the Jags are out to their first 2-0 league start since the 2009 season.

“It was a great win for us. To compete like we did, especially in set two to pull out that win, was great,” said head coach Steve Payne. “South Dakota has a great team and we were just battling it out the whole way.”

Fogler and Hoefer were the only two IUPUI players to record double-digit kills accounting for 29 of the team’s 61 kills while combining to hit .403. In both of IUPUI’s wins over the weekend, the senior duo managed to accumulate 49 kills while hitting at a .364 clip.

“That was just two seniors coming through and that’s what they’re supposed to do,” Payne said about the performances of Fogler and Hoefer throughout the weekend. “Kelsey did great tonight – played great defense – and Bethany continues to block well for us.”

The opening set featured nine ties and five lead changes until the Jags took a 14-12 lead following kills from Hoefer and Kortni Wright. With its two-point lead still intact at 17-15, the Jags rallied to capture six of the next seven points opening up a 23-16 advantage. IUPUI’s final two points of the set were kills from Moriah Fair and Hoefer closing out a 25-20 opening set win for the Jags.

A fierce battle ensued in the second set despite the Jaguars taking a lead that reached as many as four at 21-17. Despite the advantage, South Dakota retaliated and actually had three set points. The Jags spoiled all three USD set points and had six set points of their own before ultimately capitalizing with a Hoefer kill that finished off a 34-32 set-two victory, sending the Jags into the 10-minute break with a 2-0 lead.

The Coyotes came out of the break, took an early lead, and never looked back. Their lead reached as many as 10 before IUPUI made a last ditched effort with a five-point spurt, but a Kendall Kritenbrink kill cemented a 25-19 USD third-set win extending the match to a fourth set.

Just like USD did out of the break, IUPUI jumped out to an early lead in set four and controlled the action. The Jags lead grew to six at 20-14, but USD made one final push and closed within two points twice, with the last at 24-22. While Fogler and Hoefer had been the go-to players for the Jags all night, it was Meredith Farkas who delivered the game-winning kill in the fourth set securing the 25-22 fourth-set triumph.

Defensively, Beth Howard led all players with 24 digs. Hickey added a career-high 20 digs helping the Jags win the digs battle, 82-81. Fogler and Wright each tallied four blocks as IUPUI out-blocked USD, 11.0-9.0

Up next for the Jaguars is a weekday trip to Fort Wayne, Ind. on Tuesday, Sept. 18, to take on in-state rival IPFW. The match is set to start at 7 p.m.