KOKOMO, Ind. - The 18th-ranked Cougar volleyball program earned a pair of three-set victories to close out the IU Kokomo Invitational Saturday, sweeping both Madonna and IU South Bend. IU Kokomo is now set to begin River States Conference play this week with an overall record of 8-5.
FAST FACTS - 3-0 Win vs Madonna University (Mich.)
- LOCATION: Student Activities & Events Center | Kokomo, IN
- UPDATED RECORDS: Madonna - 5-3 (0-1), IU Kokomo - 7-5 (0-0)
- NAIA TOP-25 RANKINGS: Madonna - N/A, IU Kokomo - #18
THE RUNDOWN
- Looking to start strong after closing play Friday with a win over Campbellsville, IU Kokomo won 14 of the first 18 points to hold a commanding 14-4 lead early in set one. The Cougars cruised to a 25-15 first-set victory.
- IU Kokomo won the first five points of set two and nine of the first 12 to establish a lead once again, leading 13-6 halfway through the set. Leading 19-14, the Cougars won six of the ensuing eight points to take a 2-0 lead.
- Madonna managed to hang with IU Kokomo for much of the third set, yet the Cougars found a rhythm once again in the latter stages. Runs of 4-0 and 5-0 propelled the 18th ranked Cougars to their a seventh win of the season, a 3-0 victory over WHAC foe Madonna.
LEADING THE CHARGE
- Mya Grigsby hit .450 for the match and led the Cougars with 11 kills, as Mia Niekamp followed with 10 kills and a hitting percentage of .391. Grigsby also added seven digs.
- Allison Richman totaled 14 assists to lead IU Kokomo, with Macy Chafin contributing nine and libero Avery Littrell tallying six. Littrell finished with a team-high nine digs.
FAST FACTS - 3-0 Win vs IU South Bend
- LOCATION: Student Activities & Events Center | Kokomo, IN
- UPDATED RECORDS: IU South Bend - 4-10 (0-0), IU Kokomo - 8-5 (0-0)
- NAIA TOP-25 RANKINGS: IU South Bend - N/A, IU Kokomo - #18
THE RUNDOWN
- IU South Bend hung with IU Kokomo for much of the opening set, yet IU Kokomo gained separation to close out the set 25-19.
- The Cougars carried the momentum over from set one, winning seven of the first eight points to set the tone. IU Kokomo was on cruise control for the remainder of the set, as they won it 25-9 for a 2-0 lead.
- IU Kokomo led 14-10 midway through the third set, eventually extending the lead to seven at 17-10. The Cougs closed out the match in three, taking the third 25-17 to close out the weekend with a win.
LEADING THE CHARGE
INSIDE THE HUDDLE
- "We finished the weekend 3-1 and continue to make adjustments as we work to find where we can be at our best. We've faced an incredibly tough preseason, and with that chapter closed, we're excited to move into conference play. Our focus continues to be getting just a little better each day. " - Head Coach Heather Hayes
- "Overall this weekend went pretty well for us. We lost a tough fight against Cumberlands to start the weekend off, and that lit a fire in us. We realized what we were doing just wasn't enough, so we had to act fast and make a change. We did just that. We started off the next game on fire and that set the tone for the rest of the weekend. We learned a lot from every single game and I'm so excited to see what we continue to accomplish! " - Junior Mia Niekamp
THE ROAD AHEAD
- Next Match: Friday, September 12th: @ Brescia University (8:00 PM ET)
- Next Home Match: Friday, September 26th: vs IU Southeast (7:00 PM ET)
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