OMAHA, Neb. - The Indiana University Kokomo volleyball team began play at the College of Saint Mary Labor Day Classic Friday, losing to (RV) Dakota Wesleyan in the first match of the weekend before sweeping (RV) Benedictine (Kan.) in the nightcap.

FAST FACTS - 3-1 Loss vs (RV) Dakota Wesleyan

• LOCATION: Lied Fitness Center Fieldhouse | Omaha, NE 
• UPDATED RECORDS: Dakota Wesleyan - 4-2 (0-0), IU Kokomo - 3-3 (0-0)
• NAIA TOP-25 RANKINGS: Dakota Wesleyan - RV, IU Kokomo - #8

THE RUNDOWN 

• IU Kokomo struggled offensively in the first two sets of Friday morning's match with the Tigers, hitting below .100 in comparison to Dakota Wesleyan's marks of .207 and .213.
• Dakota Wesleyan took control of the opener just about halfway through the set, cruising to a 25-17 first set victory.
• The Cougars led the Tigers 14-11 midway thru the set, yet Dakota Wesleyan responded to take an 18-16 lead of their own. IU Kokomo did well to even things up once again at 23 all, yet DWU won the ensuing two points to take the set and a 2-0 lead.
• The third set proved to be a dogfight, as the Cougars were fighting to stay alive in the match. Both teams turned in their strongest offensive numbers of any set in the match, as DWU hit .279 and IUK hit .302. IU Kokomo managed to gain some separation late in the set before holding on to win 25-22 and force a fourth.
• Dakota Wesleyan forced a pair of IU Kokomo timeouts while leading by four and six in the fourth set, on their way to closing out a 3-1 win with a 25-21 fourth-set victory.

LEADING THE CHARGE

• Senior setter Allison Richman surpassed the 2,000 career assists threshold with her ninth assist of the match, becoming just the fifth student-athlete in program history to reach that mark. Richman finished the match with 40 assists and nine digs.
• Mia Niekamp led the Cougars with 15 kills, while Lexi Broyles followed with 11. In a bid to get the offense going, five different Cougars registered 24+ attack attempts.
• Avery Littrell led the Cougs defensively with 15 digs, as Chloe Carpenter and Mya Grigsby followed with 13 and 12 respectively.

FAST FACTS - 3-0 Win vs (RV) Benedictine (Kan.)

• LOCATION: Lied Fitness Center Fieldhouse | Omaha, NE 
• UPDATED RECORDS: IU Kokomo - 4-3 (0-0), Benedictine (Kan.) - 1-2 (0-0)
• NAIA TOP-25 RANKINGS: IU Kokomo - #8, Benedictine (Kan.) - RV

THE RUNDOWN 

• IU Kokomo got better offensively as the match played out, posting higher hitting percentages in each set. With the opening set tied at 10, the Cougars won five of the next six points to lead 15-11 and force a Benedictine timeout. Extending the lead to as many as seven, a Ryleigh Hamilton kill gave IUK a 25-20 first-set victory.
• The Ravens found themselves in front 14-9 over halfway through the second set, yet the Cougars refused to pack it in. Trailing 21-17, Head Coach Heather Hayes's squad roared back to win nine of the next 12 points for a 26-24 set two win and 2-0 lead.
• After showcasing their grit late in the second, the Cougars kept the pedal to the medal in the third. After jumping out to an 8-3 lead, the IUK lead was extended to double-digits at 15-5. Leading 21-10, IU Kokomo won four-straight points to close out a 3-0 victory over (RV) Benedictine (Kan.) in dominant fashion.

LEADING THE CHARGE

• Mya Grigsby and Lexi Broyles each finished with 12 kills to lead the way for IU Kokomo, with Broyles hitting .647 for the match. Grigsby added 11 digs while Broyles totaled five block assists.
• Allison Richman added a match-high 21 assists, as Macy Chafin chipped in a season-high 15.
• Avery Littrell collected 10 digs with Chloe Carpenter tallying eight.

INSIDE THE HUDDLE

• "In the first match, we just had too many unforced errors and played without much energy, which has been a repeated pattern for us. But in the second match, we made some adjustments, gave the team a different look, and really responded with set three being our cleanest set of the year. The energy, effort, and intentionality were completely different, and the outcome showed it. We're still figuring out who we are and who we want to be, but this group has a ton of potential. " - Head Coach Heather Hayes

THE ROAD AHEAD

• Next Matches: CSM Labor Day Classic, 8/30: Hastings, & #10 Providence
• 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.