INDIANAPOLIS – Despite a strong effort on both sides of the ball, including a career-performance for one Jaguar, the IUPUI volleyball team (6-13, 2-2) fell in four sets (26-24, 15-25, 22-25, 14-25) to Denver (10-5, 2-1) Saturday (Oct. 1). The loss pushes the Jags back to .500 in Summit League play, sending them on the road for a pair of matches.
The Jags were led on the night by
Gabby Fisher, who posted a career-best 16 kills in the match with nine digs.
Elizabeth Scott went off for nine kills and 11 digs, while
Kori Waelbroeck added eight kills and seven digs. Waelbroeck also tallied five total blocks, equaling the output of
Abby Boatman in the match. Boatman added eight kills on a team-best .333 clip, while #Alexis Mapes tallied 38 assists.
The Jags were limited to a .170 attack percentage in the match, as the Pioneers swung to the tune of a .299 clip. IUPUI had eight blocks to seven for Denver.
Refusing to be rattled early, the Jags found themselves in a hole at the start of play. Down 8-3, the Jags ignited a 6-1 run, thanks in part to a pair of Waelbroeck kills, to tie the game. The Pioneers would find a way to gain an edge, but at 13-15, IUPUI reeled off three-straight kills from Scott, Boatman and Fisher to take a one-point lead and force a Denver timeout. Out of the break, the Pioneers found their own rhythm, stringing together a 4-0 run and forcing the Jags into their own timeout. A back-and-forth barrage would push the score to 23-22, with the Pioneers enjoying a one-point edge. Out of a Denver timeout, Fisher unleashed an emphatic shot down the middle, getting the point for IUPUI and stealing the momentum. She'd follow suit with another kill to set up a set-point for IUPUI, but Denver would hold strong, getting a kill off the ensuing serve. A kill by Boatman and a block would lock it up for the Jags however, as they'd take the set and the lead, 26-24.
The second set never seemed to favor IUPUI, as the lead slipped away from the Jags very early and never came back. The Pioneers swung a monstrous .517 attack percentage in the set, reeling off 17 kills to just two errors. The Jags were limited to a .094 clip, committing six errors to nine kills. Denver would walk away with the set, 25-15.
Waelbroeck started a block party for the Jaguars in the third set, picking up three of her own as the Jags cruised to an 11-7 lead, forcing Denver into a timeout. Fisher picked up three kills during the stretch, seemingly deflating the Pioneers momentum. The Pioneers would find a way to come roaring back, utilizing a 7-2 run as part of a lengthy stretch to tie the game, 19-19. After an IUPUI timeout, Denver would stay the course, eventually completing the comeback to take the set, 25-22. The Jags were limited to a .147 clip in the set, committing six errors while picking up 11 kills. The Pioneers hit .229.
Fitting the bill of a heavy-weight title fight, the third set started with a jab-for-jab exchange, as IUPUI trailed Denver by one, 8-9. Despite the early competitiveness, the experienced Pioneers found a way to pull well ahead of the hometown team, getting a 20-12 lead and forcing an IUPUI timeout. The break wouldn't change much, as Denver walked away with the victory, 25-14.
IUPUI will next face South Dakota and Omaha on the road (Oct. 7-8), before returning to the Jungle for a four-match stretch.
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