GREEN BAY, Wisc. – IUPUI volleyball's season came to an end with a 3-0 loss to Illinois State in the first round of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC).
 
The loss marked the end of the careers for seniors Kori Waelbroeck, Gabby Fisher and Jessica Helms.
 
Fisher led IUPUI (16-15) with six kills as the Jags struggled on offense all night, hitting only 0.54 and finishing with 23 total kills. Waelbroeck was second on the team with four kills. After that, Abby Boatman, Maggie Gibson, McKayla Wright and Maddie Dean all had three kills.
 
Helms led the defense with nine digs, Waelbroeck had eight and Rhiannon Schuenemann finished with seven.  For the first time since before conference play began, IUPUI did not finish with more blocks than their opponent finishing tied with Illinois State (22-12) at four blocks.
 
The Redbirds finished the game hitting .365 as Sydney Holt and Juma Armando tied for the team lead with 12 kills and only three combined errors.
 
IUPUI scored the first two points of the first set but Illinois State responded with six-straight points that had the Jags playing catch-up the rest of the set. Down 10-6, IUPUI scored four straight, highlighted by a solo block by Sam Sheets and a dual block by Sheets and Abby Boatman. An ace by Batman completed the run to tie the set.
 
The Redbirds responded with five of the next seven points and the Jags would never get closer than two the rest of the set and Illinois State took set one 25-18.
 
In the second frame, two different 4-0 runs by Illinois State gave the Redbirds a 15-6 lead and forced an IUPUI timeout. After the teams traded points, Illinois State went on another 4-0 run to take a commanding 21-8 lead and closed out set with a 25-12 win.
 
As with the previous two sets, IUPUI found itself in an early hole, thanks to a 5-0 run by Illinois State that made the score 14-6. A kill by Wright pulled the Jags within five but that is the closest they would get the rest of the way as Illinois State put the Jags away with a 25-16 set three win.
 
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