KOKOMO, Ind. - The IU Kokomo volleyball team welcomed the IU East Red Wolves to town Tuesday for a rare non-conference matchup between two teams in the same conference. The Cougars got their best of their River States Conference rival in three tightly-contested sets.

Mya Grigsby and Lexi Broyles were dominant all night long for the Cougars offensively. Grigsby recorded 14 kills and a hitting percentage of .400 while teammate Lexi Broyles floored 12 kills for .611 hitting percentage.

IU East looked to be the more inspired team early in the match, forcing an IUK timeout while leading the Cougars 15-12 in set one. After a Heather Hayes timeout, the Cougars won six of the ensuing eight points to retake a one-point lead at 18-17. 

Leading 22-21 late in the opener, a Lexi Broyles kill and consecutive Red Wolves attack errors made it a 25-21 first-set victory for IU Kokomo.

The Red Wolves led early and often once again in set two, holding leads of 6-1 and 9-4. IU Kokomo trailed by six at 11-5 before winning five-straight points to trim the deficit to one. IU East managed to quickly rebuild their lead however, as they seemed to be in prime position to take set two.

With their backs against the wall in the second set while trailing 21-16, the Cougars delivered a stunning stretch in which they won nine of the final 11 points to bring the enthusiastic home crowd to their feet with a 25-23 set two win.

The Cougars got off to a much better start in set three, finding themselves in front 14-11 at the midway point of the third set. IU East battled back within three at 20-17, but IU Kokomo closed out a 25-20 set three victory and seventh-consecutive sweep.

Allison Richman led the Cougars with 17 assists as Kaley Lyons added 15 assists and eight digs. Ellie Garland and Mya Grigsby each totaled 10 digs, with freshman Chloe Carpenter tallying a career-high eight digs. 

Broyles, Cali Cummings, and Richman were forces to be reckoned with at the net, as the three combined for 13 total blocks, led by five from Cummings.

The Cougars are set for two more home matches at the tail-end of the week, hosting Alice Lloyd Friday at 6:00 PM before welcoming Shawnee State Saturday at noon.

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.