NEW ALBANY, Ind. — The No. 23 IU Kokomo volleyball team continued its strong stretch of play over the weekend, sweeping a pair of in-state River States Conference opponents with a 3-0 victory at IU Southeast on Friday before defeating IU Columbus in straight sets Saturday.
The Cougars improved to 21-6 overall and 10-1 in conference play, extending their winning streak to 12 matches while dropping just one set across their last five contests.
Friday: IU Kokomo 3, IU Southeast 0 (25-21, 25-23, 25-22)
IU Kokomo opened the weekend with a tightly contested sweep of IU Southeast, using timely offense and strong finishes in all three sets to secure the road victory.
The Cougars took control midway through the opening set and built a 20-17 advantage behind a kill from Mya Grigsby and a service ace from Avery Littrell. IU Southeast responded with three consecutive points to even the score at 20, but IU Kokomo answered with kills from Cali Cummings and Mia Niekamp to regain control. Niekamp added another kill to bring up set point before a Grenadier attack error sealed the 25-21 win.
IU Southeast jumped ahead 7-3 in the second set, prompting an IU Kokomo timeout. The Cougars responded with six consecutive points, including three kills from Cummings, to take a 9-7 lead. The teams continued to battle throughout the set, but IU Kokomo held on for a 25-23 victory to move within one set of the sweep.
The Cougars completed the sweep with a 25-22 win in the third, recording a match-high 16 kills in the frame while limiting IU Southeast to eight.
Niekamp led the offensive effort with 13 kills on just 19 attempts, hitting an outstanding .579 with only two errors. Cummings added 11 kills and three blocks, while Grigsby contributed eight kills and 10 digs.
Littrell anchored the defense with 13 digs, while setters Gracelynn Olson and Rylee Springer distributed 22 and 11 assists, respectively. Springer also recorded two service aces.
As a team, IU Kokomo hit .272 with 43 kills compared to IU Southeast's .133 hitting percentage and 30 kills. The Cougars also held a 42-31 advantage in digs.
Saturday: IU Kokomo 3, IU Columbus 0 (25-14, 25-18, 25-18)
The Cougars carried their momentum into Saturday's matchup against IU Columbus, delivering a dominant defensive performance to complete the weekend sweep.
After needing five sets to defeat the Crimson Pride earlier this month in Kokomo, IU Kokomo left little doubt in the rematch, holding IU Columbus to a .009 hitting percentage and just 23 kills across three sets.
IU Kokomo established control early in the opening set, building a 9-3 advantage behind strong serving from Springer and an effective blocking presence at the net. The Cougars maintained their lead throughout the frame and pulled away for a convincing 25-14 victory.
The second set saw IU Kokomo continue to dictate play, using its balanced attack and defensive pressure to limit the Crimson Pride to eight kills and a negative .024 hitting percentage. The Cougars claimed the set 25-18 to take a commanding two-set advantage.
IU Kokomo carried that same intensity into the third, jumping ahead 8-2 before extending its advantage to 14-8. Although IU Columbus attempted to close the gap late, the Cougars maintained control and secured another 25-18 victory to complete the sweep.
Grigsby led the Cougars with 12 kills and 13 digs, recording another double-double while hitting .256. Cummings followed with nine kills on a .333 hitting percentage, while Trishell Johnson provided an efficient eight kills on 16 attempts, hitting .375.
Niekamp added eight kills, giving IU Kokomo four players with at least eight kills in the balanced offensive performance.
Littrell delivered an outstanding defensive effort with a match-high 22 digs, while Grigsby added 13 and Chloe Carpenter contributed eight. At the net, Cummings and Ryleigh Hamilton each recorded four block assists, while Johnson and Grigsby added three apiece.
Olson paced the offense with 21 assists, followed by Springer with 14. Springer also added two service aces as the Cougars finished with five as a team.
IU Kokomo held decisive advantages in kills (42-23), digs (60-51) and total blocks (7-4), hitting .248 while limiting IU Columbus to just .009.
With two more conference victories secured, the Cougars return home Tuesday, Oct. 27, for a highly anticipated River States Conference rematch against Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College at the Student Activities and Events Center.
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, X and Instagram.
