ST. MARY-OF-THE-WOODS, Ind. — The longest conference winning streak in IU Kokomo volleyball history came to an end Tuesday night, as the Cougars fell to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in straight sets inside the Knoerle Center.
The loss snapped IU Kokomo's remarkable 56-match River States Conference regular-season winning streak, a run that stretched nearly four years. It marked the Cougars' first conference loss since Oct. 28, 2022, and their first straight-set loss in conference play since Oct. 22, 2016.
IU Kokomo was held to 26 kills and a .019 hitting percentage Tuesday, while Saint Mary-of-the-Woods totaled 37 kills and hit .243 in the 25-15, 25-18, 25-16 victory.
First Set
- The Cougars erased an early 6-4 deficit and moved ahead 9-7 behind a Chloe Carpenter ace, a Cali Cummings kill and a block and kill from Mya Grigsby.
- Grigsby later tied the set at 11-11 with a kill, but Saint Mary-of-the-Woods responded with six consecutive points to take control at 17-11.
- IU Kokomo got kills from Trishell Johnson, Mia Niekamp and Ryleigh Hamilton later in the set, but the Pomeroys maintained their advantage and closed out a 25-15 opening-set win.
Second Set
- Saint Mary-of-the-Woods jumped out to a 7-2 lead before the Cougars battled back behind kills from Grigsby, Johnson and Hamilton to trim the deficit to 14-12.
- Trailing 16-13, IU Kokomo scored three straight points on a Cummings block, a Pomeroy attack error and a Grigsby kill to even the set at 16-16.
- The Cougars moved in front 18-17 following a pair of SMWC errors, but the Pomeroys responded down the stretch and pulled away for a 25-18 win to take a two-set lead.
Third Set
- IU Kokomo grabbed an early 5-3 advantage behind an Alexis Baney kill and a block from Johnson and Grigsby before the teams traded points through an 11-11 tie.
- Saint Mary-of-the-Woods scored the next four points to take a 15-11 lead, but Johnson answered with a kill as the Cougars worked back within two at 15-13.
- IU Kokomo remained within striking distance at 17-15 before the Pomeroys used a seven-point run to take control at 24-15.
- The Cougars fought off one match point on a service error before SMWC finished the 25-16 set victory to complete the sweep.
IU Kokomo Top Performers
- Mya Grigsby: 8 kills, 14 digs, 2 blocks (1 solo), 9.5 points
- Trishell Johnson: 6 kills, .333 hitting percentage, 3 digs, 2 block assists, 7.0 points
- Cali Cummings: 6 kills, .286 hitting percentage, 2 blocks (1 solo), 7.5 points
- Gracelynn Olson: 9 assists, 5 digs
- Avery Littrell: 11 digs, 1 assist
The Cougars will return to action Thursday, Sept. 17, when they travel to South Bend, Indiana, for a nonconference matchup with IU South Bend. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Student Activities 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.
