HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – IU Indy pushed top-seeded Northern Kentucky to the brink on Saturday evening in Highland Heights, falling 3–2 in a back-and-forth semifinal battle to close their Horizon League Tournament run. The Jaguars won sets two and four and forced a decisive fifth, but NKU held on late to advance.
The Jaguars came out red-hot, jumping ahead 5–0 behind early kills from
Maia Long and
Morgan Ostrowski. NKU responded with a sizable run of its own, capitalizing on IU Indy attack errors to flip the momentum. Though the Jaguars pulled within 20–19 on a service ace by
Grace Purichia, NKU closed the set on a 6–2 push to take the opener.
IU Indy answered immediately in the second set. A balanced offense—highlighted by kills from
Jillian Tippmann,
Ninah Miranda and
Amanda Stephens—helped the Jaguars maintain steady control throughout the frame. With the score tied 21–21, IU Indy rattled off the final four points, capped by kills from Ostrowski and Miranda to even the match at one set apiece.
Set three was a heavyweight exchange from start to finish. The Jaguars built a 23–20 lead behind strong blocking from Ostrowski and Tippmann, but NKU rallied late. IU Indy fought off multiple set points—earning one of their own at 25–24—but the Norse tallied key kills down the stretch to steal the extended set 28–26.
With their season on the line, IU Indy delivered its most composed set of the night.
Ninah Miranda sparked a mid-set surge with a service ace, while Ostrowski dominated late with multiple kills. Back-to-back aces from libero
Laura Roeder stretched the lead, and Tippmann finished the frame with another kill to force a decisive fifth.
The final set remained tight through the opening rallies, but NKU found separation midway through with several key kills from Sydney Bray and Ivey Stocks. Stephens and Miranda kept IU Indy within striking distance, but the Norse closed the match on a 5–2 run to advance. The Jaguars finished with 61 kills, paced by Tippmann (16), Ostrowski (12) and Miranda (11). Purichia totaled 53 assists, while Roeder anchored the defense with 29 digs.
With the loss, the Jags' historic Horizon League Tournament run comes to an end.
