PEORIA, Ill. – The IUPUI volleyball team closed out the CEFCU Invitational at Bradley with a Saturday split. The Jags defeated SIUE in the early match on Saturday, 3-2 but then fell to host Bradley in the second match of the day, 3-0.
 
In the first match of the day, IUPUI took down SIUE, 3-2. The Cougars took a one set lead when they won the opening set, 25-17. The Jags quickly tied the match up with a second set victory, 25-22. The back-and -forth match continued when SIUE won the third set (25-20) and the Jags took the fourth set (28-26).
 
With the match on the line, SIUE jumped out first winning the first four points to open the fifth set. Kills by Maia Long and Morgan Ostrowski helped the Jags to tie it up at 6-6. The set would be even again at 8-8 and 10-10 before Long sealed the victory with a kill at 15-13.
 
The Jaguar attack was led by Long with 21 kills while Ostrowski and freshman Kate White added eight. Grace Purichia collected 39 assists and five service aces while Addie Evans earned 19 digs.
 
The Jags comeback magic ran out when they fell to Bradley 3-0. The first set thriller was decided with a kill from Bradley's Karagan Coggin and an IUPUI attack error, 26-24. In set two, the Jags were outhit 11-9 with the Braves taking the set, 25-18.
 
IUPUI turned up the heat in the third set recording 16 kills compared to Bradley's eight, but service errors proved costly as the Jags committed six errors. The Braves took the third set and the match, 25-22.
 
Purichia recorded nine kills, 13 digs and 21 assists in the final match of the weekend while Long collected eight kills and Evans earned 10 digs.
 
IUPUI finishes the weekend 2-1 and will return to the Jungle for the Hampton inn Invitational on Thursday, August 31.