INDIANAPOLIS – Hardly indicative of the effort put forth by the Jags, the IUPUI volleyball team (11-17, 7-6) fell in straight-sets (24-26, 20-25, 24-26) Friday (Nov. 4) to the first-place Coyotes of South Dakota (22-5, 11-2), dropping their third-straight match.  The Jags held numerous leads throughout the match, including a pair of set-points.
 
The Jags were led in the match by Kori Waelbroeck, who picked up 14 kills and eight digs, also tallying three blocks.  Gabby Fisher went for 10 kills and six digs, while Elizabeth Scott contributed 14 digs.  Logan Walling had nine kills on an .818 clip and three blocks, while fellow senior Alexis Mapes picked up 33 assists in the contest.  Abby Boatman returned with five kills and three blocks while the libero Jessica Helms tied Scott with 14 digs.
 
A glance over the box score would leave one hard-pressed to understand how the Jags were not victorious in the match.  IUPUI had a higher hitting percentage as a team (.248) than the Coyotes (.240), more blocks (seven to six) and outhit the Coyotes in two out of three sets, yet couldn't come away with either of the frames decided by just a pair of points.  The offense showed exceptional improvement from its season average, hitting at or above .222 in every set, and picking up at least 13 kills in every set.
 
One area that the Jags did struggle was on the serve, where the Coyotes picked up nine aces as a team to just three for IUPUI.  The Jags also committed four errors on the serve, to just three for USD. 
 
The Jags took a convincing lead late into the first set, as IUPUI held a 23-19 lead late following a kill by Waelbroeck.  That was when the clutch defense of the Coyotes came to life, picking up a pair of blocks as part of a 4-0 run to tie the game at 23-all.  The Jags would break the run on another kill from Waelbroeck, giving IUPUI a set-point.  Once again, the defense of the Coyotes was stout, picking up a block and two kills to ignite a 3-0 run and lock up the first set, 24-26. 
 
Despite trailing by as many as four, IUPUI got to within one point of the Coyotes late in the second set, setting the score at 20-21 following an attack error by USD.  Three-straight kills by the Coyotes and a service ace capped a 4-0 run that allowed the visiting team to cruise to a second set victory and a 2-0 lead.
 
Down by as many as seven points, trailing 6-13, the Jags didn't quit in the third frame, battling back to eventually tie the game at 15 on an ace from Scott.  The ace was the final knock in a 5-0 run by the Jags, their largest run of the set.  Staring down a triple-match point for the Coyotes, IUPUI got kills from Waelbroeck and Fisher, as well as a service ace from Waelbroeck, to tie the game at 24-24.  Despite the run, a bad set and a block eventually ended the affair, as the Jags fell 24-26.
 
The valiant effort wasn't enough, but the Jags will get a chance at redemption tomorrow night (Nov. 5) in the final home game of the season for IUPUI.  The match will mark senior night for three Jaguar players, as Mapes, Walling and Abby Horn will take the floor for the final time in their college careers.  The game begins at 6 p.m. EST in the Jungle.
 
Fans are reminded that due to a number of events taking place in the Natatorium, indoor and outdoor traffic will be higher than usual.  A continuing swim meet, an Indy Eleven game, and a later IUPUI men's soccer game will leave the parking lots in high occupancy, and all fans are encouraged to plan accordingly.
 
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