OMAHA, Neb. - The IU Kokomo volleyball team closed out play at the College of Saint Mary Labor Day Classic Saturday, dropping a five-set battle with #2 Northwestern before sweeping Peru State to finish .500 on the weekend.

Match One vs #2 Northwestern (Iowa) (L, 23-25, 27-29, 25-17, 25-23, 10-15)
Coming of off a win over #23 Providence to end the day Saturday, IU Kokomo jumped out to a quick 5-2 lead over perennial NAIA power Northwestern. The Cougars maintained a lead thru the middle part of the set, forcing a Raiders timeout while leading 16-13.

Northwestern seemed to outplay from the Cougars that point on in set one, utilizing a 4-0 run while trailing by two to close out the first set 25-23.

Set two proved to be the most tightly-contested set of the match, as the two squads traded the lead eight different times. The Raiders found themselves on top at the end, taking a 2-0 lead with a 29-27 set victory.

Down two sets to none against the second ranked Raiders, IU Kokomo came out of the break winning eight of the first ten points. Just as Northwestern cut the deficit to one, the Cougs went on a 9-0 run to take a commanding ten-point lead. IUK cruised to a 25-17 third set win.

The strong play from head coach Heather Hayes's squad continued into the early stages of set four, as they led 6-1 early and 16-9 over halfway thru the set. A 6-0 spurt from Northwestern changed things quickly however, as the lead dwindled to one.

Trailing by three at 22-19, the Raiders won four-straight points to take their first lead of the set. Coach Hayes called a timeout and reset her squad after surrendering the lead, spurring the Cougs on to win the ensuing three points and the set 25-23.

The Cougars entered the set looking to pull off the reverse sweep after trailing 2-0 and battling back to force a fifth-set. The two sides traded points before Northwestern gained a little separation for a 9-6 lead. IU Kokomo managed to get within two at 10-8, but the #2 Raiders went on to win the decider 15-10.

Four Cougars recorded double-digit kills in the five-setter, led by Mya Grigsby with 19. Lexi Broyles followed with 18 and Cali Cummings was one back with 17, while Maggie Connell finished with 11. Broyles had an impressive nine total blocks, with Allison Richman totaling seven and Alexis Baney blocking six. 

Richman led the setters with 28 assists while Kaley Lyons was just two back with 26. Ellie Garland continued her strong weekend with a team-best 21 digs, as Lyons followed with 18 for a double-double. Grigsby also had a double-double with her 15 digs, while Maggie Connell and Julia Sanders had 11 and nine respectively.

Match One vs Peru State (W, 25-10, 25-19, 25-19)
IU Kokomo delivered one of their strongest performances of the weekend in the final match, especially the first set. After jumping out to a stout 11-3 lead, an 8-0 run extended the lead to 14 at 19-5 before winning the set by 15.

The Cougs led 12-6 midway thru the second, but a 4-0 run from Peru State cut the lead to two. IUK quickly rebuilt the lead to eight at 20-12 before taking the set 25-19.

IUK faced their first bit of adversity of the match in set three, as the Bobcats jumped out to a 5-0 lead. The Cougars battled back to tie it at ten, but Peru State seemed to keep their neck in front until later in the set. Trailing the Bobcats by one, a 7-0 IU Kokomo run gave them five match points. IUK won the set 25-19 once again to complete the sweep and close the weekend 2-2 and 8-4 overall.

Broyles recorded a team-high 12 kills, while Grigsby added nine kills, four aces, and two blocks. Cummings had a solid match as well, tallying seven kills and a team-best three blocks.

The two IUK setters combined for 32 assists, led by Lyons with 18. Garland was strong once again at libero with an impressive 22 digs for a three-set match.

The Cougars will enjoy nearly two weeks off before making their home debut with the 2024 IU Kokomo Volleyball Invitational September 13th and 14th. 

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.