KOKOMO, Ind. - The IU Kokomo volleyball team faced a stiff-test Saturday afternoon from Shawnee State, overcoming a dropped first-set to take down the Bears in four. The Cougars now stand at 21-4 overall and 8-0 in River States Conference action.

Shawnee State came to play Saturday, serving as a bit of a shock to the system early in the match. After taking over the lead for good early in the opener, the Bears maintained a lead until the Cougars found a bit of a rhythm. 

Trailing 20-15, a 6-0 IU Kokomo run that was fueled by four SSU errors, handed the Cougars a one-point lead. The Bears showcased some grit in re-taking leads at 24-23 and 25-24, before eventually closing out the set 27-25.

Despite not having their best, IU Kokomo bounced back in a big way, hitting at least .349 in the middle two sets while holding the Bears to a hitting percentage of .167 or worse. The Cougs won the first seven-points of set two before extending the lead to double-digits at 13-3. IUK handled SSU in the second, winning it 25-12 to even the match at a set apiece. 

IU Kokomo and Shawnee State were even at 11 nearly midway thru the third, but the Cougars then won 11 of the next 13 points to grab a commanding nine-point lead. A Maggie Connell kill on the second set point gave the Cougs a 25-16 set victory and a 2-1 lead.

The Cougars had the Bears doubled up at 12-6 in the fourth prior to a 7-0 run, which extended the lead to 13. Shawnee State put up a fight by winning the first four IU Kokomo set points, as the Cougars closed it out with a Lexi Broyles kill to take the match in four.

Mya Grigsby recorded a match-high 15 kills to go along with a match-high 15 digs, as Broyles chipped in 13. Both Alexis Baney and Cali Cummings added nine kills apiece. Baney and Broyles each had a team-high four total blocks, while setter Allison Richman had three.

Kaley Lyons led the IUK passing attack with 24 assists, as Richman recorded 12 and Ellie Garland added five. Garland also totaled 12 digs while Lyons tallied eight.

The Cougars will hit the road next week for matches at IU Southeast Friday and at Midway Saturday.

For the latest news, updates, and information on the IU Kokomo Cougars, fans can visit IUKCougars.com. Fans can also stay up to date on the latest Cougar news by following @IUKAthletics on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.