Box Score

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The IUPUI volleyball team opened the Western Kentucky Invitational Friday afternoon against Ohio State and the Jaguars were one point away from taking the third set and a two sets to one lead, but the Buckeyes managed to win the third set carrying Ohio State to a 3-1 (9-25, 25-22, 24-26, 25-16) win.

The loss dropped the Jaguars record to 5-4, while OSU upped its record to 7-1.

At the start of the opening set, Ohio State jumped out to an early 6-1 lead, but three Buckeyes attack errors coupled with a solo block from Bethany Fogler cut the IUPUI deficit to three, 8-5. After Ohio State opened a 16-7 lead that forced an IUPUI timeout, the Buckeyes continued their impressive play out of the timeout and ultimately took the first set, 25-9.

Using two Kelsey Hoefer kills and a Kaitlyn Hickey kill, IUPUI managed to shake off their first-set performance and jump out to a 6-2 lead. The Buckeyes rallied to tie the match four times before using an Emily Danks kill and an IUPUI error to overtake the Jags and take a 12-10 lead, forcing the Jags to burn a timeout. Out of the timeout, OSU upped its lead to 14-10, but a kill by Hoefer was followed by two Ohio State attack errors and an IUPUI block that evened the score at 14.  

Following two more ties, a kill by Fogler preceded a Fogler and Hickey block and a Buckeyes attack error, placing the Jags on top 21-18. A kill by Moriah Fair gave the Jaguars set point at 24-22, and a Buckeyes attack error handed the Jags a 25-22 second-set win tying the match at one set apiece.

Similar to the second set, IUPUI took an early lead at 6-2 only to have Ohio State bounce back and take a 13-11 advantage. Still trailing by two, 16-14, following an IUPUI timeout, the Jaguars went on a four-point run to catapult back in front, 18-16, forcing Ohio State to burn a timeout. After a three-point Buckeyes run continued the see-saw set and put Ohio State in front, 21-20, two kills and an ace by Fair put the Jags back on top, 23-21. With the score tied at 23, a Hoefer kill gave the Jags set point at 24-23, but the Buckeyes rallied off three straight points to take the third set, 26-24.

Ohio State carried the momentum from a tough third-set win into the fourth set taking a five-point cushion at 16-11 that prompted an IUPUI timeout. The Jags trimmed their deficit to three, 18-15, but a four-point OSU run opened a seven-point lead and IUPUI couldn’t recover as the Buckeyes took the fourth set, 25-16, to close out the 3-1 win.

Hoefer led the Jaguars with 12 kills, while Fair joined her in double figures with 10 kills. While the Buckeyes posted more kills, digs, and assists than the Jaguars, IUPUI won the blocking battle thanks in part to Fogler’s five blocks, which included three solo blocks.

In her first career start, Ellyn Jones dished out a career-high 31 assists.

IUPUI is back in action on Saturday, Sept. 8, when it takes on Tennessee Tech and Western Kentucky at 11 a.m. ET and 6:30 p.m. ET, respectively.