IUPUI Scoring Runs Drop Coyote Volleyball 3-1

VERMILLION, SD -- Bad stretches in the first and fourth sets sunk South Dakota volleyball in a 3-1 loss against the IUPUI Jaguars on Friday night, 25-12, 20-25, 25-17, 25-21.

The Coyotes (8-12, 2-6 in Summit League) allowed several runs in those two sets.  IUPUI (14-7, 7-2 in Summit League) had runs of 4-0, 5-0 and 6-0 in the first set, and four 3-0 runs in the fourth set. Kaitlyn Hickey lifted IUPUI on both sides of the court, recording 14 kills and 22 digs.

South Dakota had a tie for most kills with Kim Bulaga (Crystal Lake, Ill.) and Kendall Kritenbrink (Gretna, Neb.) scoring 10 each.  Bulaga also had 13 digs for her 5th double-double in the last six matches.  Bailey Lupardus (Camdenton, Mo.) recorded 33 assists, and Riley Haug had 21 digs to lead the Coyotes in both categories.

IUPUI took advantage of several Coyote miscues in the opening set. IUPUI’s Moriah Fair and Kelsey Hoefer both recorded four of the Jaguars’ 14 kills in the set, while no Coyotes had more than two kills.  Fair ended up with 15 kills, while Hoefer had 14 kills.

The Coyotes won the second set with a 17-10 kill advantage and only four attack errors.  Bulaga and Tori Kroll (Germantown, Wisc.) both had six kills, and a pair of kills by Bulaga started a 7-2 run to make it 20-13 to put the set out of reach.

The Jaguars seized control of the match in set three behind Fair’s eight kills and a 22-11 advantage in kills.  They carried that momentum through most of the fourth set, leading by as many as 11 (20-9).  South Dakota gave chase to close the gap late, but IUPUI was able to hold off the charging Coyotes.

South Dakota will play against Western Illinois on Sunday at 2 p.m.  The Coyotes beat the Leathernecks in their conference opener this season.

Courtesy:  University of South Dakota