CLEVELAND, Ohio – IUPUI volleyball's Horizon League Tournament came to an early end after losing to Northern Kentucky in the first round in four sets.
IUPUI (16-14, 12-4 Horizon) entered the tournament as the No. 3 seed but struggled all afternoon on offense only hitting .147 and committing 24 errors. Gabby Fisher was the lone bright spot for the Jags on offense finishing with 22 kills and hitting .304. After Fisher, the offense dropped off with Kori Waelbroeck having 10 kills but only hitting .062 and Maddie Dean finishing third on the team with eight kills and a .139 hitting percentage.

Northern Kentucky (12-14, 7-9 Horizon) got a career-game from freshman Kaelin Gentile who finished with 20 kills and a .515 hitting percentage. After Gentile, Haley Libs had 14 and Bailey Western finished with 10.

Despite out-blocking Northern Kentucky, the Jags missed Horizon All-League member Haley Hoffman in the middle, who missed the match due to injury. Hoffman had been a consistent threat on sides of the court for the Jags all season leading the team in hitting percentage and blocks during the conference season.

The Jags finished with 13 blocks led by Abby Boatman who finished with seven. Freshman Samantha Sheets who saw her first action of the year in place of Hoffman was second on the squad with five total blocks.

Northern Kentucky finished with 13 more digs than IUPUI (83-70). The Jags were led by Maggie Gibson and Jessica Helms who both finished with 14. Waelbroeck added 13 for another double-double and Elizabeth Scott finished with 10.

The first set was back and forth with the score being tied at eight after an error by Scott. Northern Kentucky used that error for a spark to a 5-0 run and take a 12-8 lead. IUPUI tried to battle back with three-straight points from a kill and ace by Fisher, followed by a kill from Dean that pulled the Jags within two but Northern Kentucky had an answer for every Jag run. IUPUI got a kill from Fisher later in the set to make the score 18-17 but the Norse rattled off three-straight and took the set scoring the final four points to take set one 25-18.

IUPUI looked to rebound in the second set taking a three-point lead multiple times early in the set. Northern Kentucky tied the set at 13 but the Jags used a run to separate themselves. Starting with a block from Gibson and Boatman, IUPUI scored the next seven points with kills from Boatman and Fisher. The two also combined for a block during the run. Northern Kentucky climbed back in to the set fighting off three-set points and pulling within one at 24-23 before Waelbroeck put an end to the comeback with a kill to tie the match heading in to the intermission.

Set three started with the teams trading points but another mid-set run doomed the Jags. Tied at eight, Northern Kentucky scored six-straight points with four coming from kills and one ace. IUPUI got a couple points from a block by Sheets and Dean, and a kill by Waelbroeck but fell behind 18-10 after two-straight Norse points. The Jags pulled within four after a kill by Dean, block by Boatman and kill by Fisher but three-straight Northern Kentucky points pout the set out of reach and Northern Kentucky would take set three 25-18.

With their tournament lives on the line, IUPUI jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the fourth set after a kill by Waelbroeck and block by Dean and Boatman but Northern Kentucky responded with a 7-0 run to take an 8-3 lead. After IUPUI got a kill by Boatman, the Norse scored the next four points and jumped out to a 12-4 lead. IUPUI tried to battle back, pulling to 16-10 after a kill by Gibson but four-straight points from Northern Kentucky put the Jags down ten. IUPUI scored five-straight on the back of four errors by Northern Kentucky but a kill by Libs ended the run. Later in the set, a kill by Fisher saved a match point but a kill from Western ended the Jags tournament, giving Northern Kentucky a 25-19 set win.

IUPUI might still have a chance for the postseason with a bid in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship. The field for the 32-team tournament will be selected on Sunday, November 26, after the NCAA tournament is selected.