LEXINGTON, Ky. – The IUPUI volleyball team entered the Bluegrass Invitational as the underdogs with an opening match against a Little Rock team that won 30 matches a season ago and received votes in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Preseason Poll. However, behind Kaitlyn Hickey's 25 kills and some key late blocks it was the Jaguars who scored a big upset early in the young season with a 3-1 (29-27, 18-25, 25-20, 26-24) victory over the Trojans.
 
IUPUI (1-0) was led by Hickey offensively, but she had some help as Skylar Wright put down 18 kills, and Kelly Wachtel and Logan Walling added 12 and 11 kills, respectively. As evidenced by four Jags reaching double figures in kills, Alexis Mapes moved the ball around to all of her hitters and totaled 60 assists on the night, while Abby Horn anchored the defense with eight total blocks – all of which coming in the last two sets.

"I was really impressed how we fought back when we were down and it was a real team effort," head coach Steve Payne said. ""Kaitlyn was all over the floor and pushed through some tough times and Skylar too had some great plays. Defensively, we made some adjustments in set three and Abby (Horn) was able to get in rhythm with their timing a bit. We had 20 more kills than they did and had more digs - just a great effort by everybody today."
  
The first set featured play that was more indicative of what you would see in the middle to the end of the season, not the opening match. Both offensives were firing on all cylinders and it was the Trojans who were able to take a three-point lead, 13-10, as the midway point of the opening set neared.
 
That three-point margin would be the largest of the set and Little Rock held a two-point lead as late as 21-19 before a kill from Hickey and consecutive kills from Walling catapulted the Jaguars in front, 22-21. Six ties ensued, Little Rock had one set point and IUPUI had three set points before a Trojans attack error and a kill from Walling finished off a 29-27 opening-set win.
 
IUPUI put down 23 kills and hit .281 in the first set, with eight kills coming from Hickey and five apiece coming from Wachtel and Walling.
 
The back-and-forth action continued in set two resulting in Little Rock holding a 14-13 lead before it was able to create some separation thanks to a four-point rally that opened an 18-13 cushion. IUPUI closed to within two at 19-17 via a Wright kill and a block from Walling and Mapes, but the Trojans pulled away for a 25-18 second-set win to even the match at a set apiece.
 
With the first two sets dominated by offense, it was Horn's defense that lifted the Jaguars to a 5-1 lead early in set two. Following the Trojans .323 hitting percentage in set two, IUPUI made some adjustments in set three and Horn was a part of four early blocks helping it to a four-point lead. Little Rock responded with some adjustments of its own and seized a four-point lead at 16-12, but a seven-point Jags run featuring three kills from Wachtel propelled them back on top, 19-16. Wright scored IUPUI's next three points on kills, before Hickey blasted three kills of her own down the stretch to finish the 25-20 third-set win.
 
With their backs against the wall, the Trojans got off to a great start in the fourth set by taking a 9-4 lead, but IUPUI took nine of the next 12 points to capture a 13-12 advantage. Little Rock retaliated by winning seven of the next eight points to take back a 19-14 lead, but behind Hickey the Jags were able to close within one as late as 22-21. Two Trojans kills gave them three set points, but a kill from Hickey, a Little Rock attack error and a block from Horn and Gabby Fisher evened the score at 24-24. Another block - this time from Horn and Kori Waelbroeck - put IUPUI on the doorstep of a come-from-behind win, and another Little Rock miscue completed that comeback as IUPUI earned a 26-24 win to finish off the 3-1 win.     
 
Hickey's 25 kills tied for ninth in IUPUI history for most kills in a four-set match.  Hickey also added 14 digs, while Wright and Mapes added 16 and 10, respectively, resulting in all three posting double-doubles. In her first career start at libero, Courtney Halter led the team with 17 digs.
 
It won't get any easier for the Jags this weekend as they face a pair of ranked teams on Saturday in #15 Kentucky and #19 Michigan State. IUPUI begins its day against the Wildcats at 10:30 a.m., and the match will be streamed live via WatchESPN.