FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The eighth-ranked Indiana University Kokomo volleyball team picked up their first two wins of the season Friday at the Onset Invitational, sweeping (RV) Columbia International (SC) before beating #15 Aquinas (Mich.) in four sets.

FAST FACTS - 3-0 win vs (RV) Columbia International University (SC)

• LOCATION: Allen County War Memorial Coliseum | Fort Wayne, IN 
• UPDATED RECORDS: Columbia International (SC) - 0-1 (0-0), IU Kokomo - 1-1 (0-0)
• NAIA TOP-25 RANKINGS: Columbia International (SC) - RV, IU Kokomo - #8

THE RUNDOWN

• IU Kokomo essentially dominated Columbia International (CIU) from the jump Friday afternoon, scoring the first five points of the match. CIU only managed to cut the deficit to three as the Cougars cruised to a 25-14 first-set victory.
• Set two proved to be the closest of the match, as both teams struggled at times in the hitting department. IU Kokomo out-dueled CIU however 25-20 in the second, thanks in large-part to out-hitting the Rams .128 to .061.
• Operation domination was a full-go once again in the third set, as the Cougars hit a whopping .400 in comparison to CIU's .000. The Cougars rolled to another 25-14 set victory, completing the sweep of the Rams.

LEADING THE CHARGE

• Both Cali Cummings and Lexi Broyles hit above .400 in the first match of the day, as each of them recorded a team-high eight kills.
• In her second match back from injury, Mia Niekamp totaled eight digs and seven kills.
• Allison Richman led the IUK setters with 17 assists and four kills, as Macy Chafin added eight assists and seven digs. 
• Mya Grigsby had a team-best 10 digs to go along with six kills.
• Cummings also finished with three solo blocks and a block assist, with Broyles adding a pair of solo blocks.

FAST FACTS - 3-1 win vs #15 Aquinas College (Mich.)

• LOCATION: Allen County War Memorial Coliseum | Fort Wayne, IN 
• UPDATED RECORDS: IU Kokomo - 2-1 (0-0), Aquinas (Mich.) - 1-1 (0-0)
• NAIA TOP-25 RANKINGS: IU Kokomo - #8, Aquinas (Mich.) #15

THE RUNDOWN

• IU Kokomo picked up where they left off in the first match of the day, doubling up the Saints at 10-5 to force an early timeout. The Cougars led 16-7 before Aquinas cut the deficit to four, but IUK closed out set one 25-18.
• After holding a steady lead for much of the second set, IU Kokomo allowed Aquinas back in the set in what proved to be a back-and-forth affair. The Saints' Cece Pelak recorded three-straight kills while trailing 29-28, allowing Aquinas to even the match with a 31-29 set two victory.
• The Cougars refused to let the blown lead bother them, despite trailing on multiple occasions in the third set. IU Kokomo led 15-12 before Aquinas answered with a run of their own to take a lead. The Saints took another lead late in the set at 23-22, yet the Cougars rattled off three-straight points to win the third 25-23 and take a 2-1 lead.
• IU Kokomo led 5-1 early in the fourth before Aquinas found some footing, reeling off six-straight points before eventually forcing an IUK timeout. With Aquinas in front 10-7, the Cougars seemingly flipped a switch, winning 13 of the ensuing 16 points for a commanding 19-13 lead. The Cougars held off any Saints comeback attempt, capping off a strong day with a 3-1 victory over 15th-ranked Aquinas.

LEADING THE CHARGE

• Cali Cummings continued her strong day in the night-cap against Aquinas, flooring nine kills while tallying six block assists and three solo blocks.
• Senior setter Allison Richman totaled a match-high 39 assists, also collecting six digs and three block assists.
• Mya Grigsby led the Cougars in kills with 20, also adding eight digs and three service aces.
• Freshman Brynn Berndt saw her first action of the season against Aquinas, flooring a pair of crucial kills.
• Indiana State transfer Ava Rundle finished with a team-high 18 digs, as Chloe Carpenter and Maggie Machado followed with 17 and 12 digs respectively.

INSIDE THE HUDDLE

• "I was really proud of the way we bounced back today after a tough loss earlier in the week. We showed improvement, grew up a lot as a team, and took much better care of the ball. Both wins came against quality opponents, and I thought we handled adversity really well—especially in the extended set against Aquinas. Our composure and resilience stood out, and overall this was a really good day for our team." - Head Coach Heather Hayes
• "These wins were huge for us! We needed a win or two that brought us confidence in our abilities as a team and individuals. We played amazing defense and offense, firing on all cylinders. Our energy was great and that is thanks to our bench and each player that was locked in today." - Senior Lexi Broyles

THE ROAD AHEAD

• Next Matches: Onset Invitational Day Two, 8/23: vs #22 Marian (Ind.), (RV) Indiana Tech
• Next Home Match: IU Kokomo Volleyball Invitational, 9/5 - 9/6: vs (RV) Cumberlands, vs Campbellsville, vs Madonna, vs IU South Bend

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.