SOUTH BEND, Ind. — IU Kokomo head volleyball coach and Director of Athletics
Heather Hayes reached a historic milestone Thursday evening, earning her 400th career victory as the Cougars swept IU South Bend in straight sets, 25-20, 25-21, 25-18.
Already the winningest coach in IU Kokomo Athletics history by a considerable margin, Hayes reached the milestone in her 14th season at the helm of the volleyball program, with all 400 victories coming at IU Kokomo. In addition to her success on the court, Hayes also serves as Athletic Director, continuing to make a lasting impact on Cougar Athletics through her leadership of the department.
The Cougars made sure the milestone came in convincing fashion, finishing with 41 kills and a .255 hitting percentage while limiting IU South Bend to 27 kills and a .094 clip.
First Set
- IU South Bend jumped ahead 5-3 before the Cougars responded with five consecutive points. A Chloe Carpenter service ace and kills from Claire Campanello, Cali Cummings and Natalie Sevier helped IU Kokomo take an 8-5 advantage.
- The Titans answered an 11-7 deficit with four straight points to even the score at 11-11. Neither side could create much separation from there, with the teams remaining within two points of each other until the score reached 20-20.
- Trishell Johnson delivered a timely kill to put the Cougars back in front, and Alexa Miedema took over at the service line. Miedema served the final four points, including back-to-back aces, as IU Kokomo closed the opening set on a 5-0 run to win 25-20.
Second Set
- IU South Bend opened the second set with four straight points, including consecutive service aces, and maintained a 7-4 advantage in the early going.
- The Cougars quickly erased the deficit with a seven-point run to take an 11-7 lead. Mya Grigsby supplied three kills during the stretch, while Campanello added two kills and Carpenter contributed a service ace.
- The Titans battled back to within one at 11-10 and later trimmed the IU Kokomo advantage to 21-19, but the Cougars never surrendered the lead. Kills from Sevier and Ryleigh Hamilton helped close out a 25-21 victory and put Hayes' milestone win just one set away.
Third Set
- IU South Bend again got off to a quick start, using three service aces to build a 4-1 lead. The Cougars answered to tie the set at 4-4 before a Cummings kill gave IU Kokomo a 6-5 advantage.
- The teams traded points until a 9-9 tie, when Johnson sparked a four-point IU Kokomo run with a kill. Hamilton followed with consecutive kills to extend the Cougars' lead to 13-9.
- IU Kokomo continued to pull away, building a 22-14 advantage behind kills from Cummings, Grigsby and Campanello. The Titans managed to close the gap to 23-17, but Grigsby delivered a kill to bring up match point before the Cougars finished off the set 25-18.
With the final point, Hayes officially secured career victory No. 400, adding another historic achievement to a coaching tenure that has shaped the IU Kokomo volleyball program.
IU Kokomo Top Performers
- Mya Grigsby led the Cougars with 10 kills and nine digs.
- Claire Campanello finished with four kills on a perfect 1.000 hitting percentage, 19 assists and two digs.
- Trishell Johnson contributed seven kills on .462 hitting and four blocks.
- Cali Cummings added seven kills on .400 hitting and three blocks.
- Avery Littrell anchored the back row with 11 digs while adding one assist and one block.
The Cougars will enjoy over a week off from game action before returning to play Saturday, September 26th, as they will be on the road for a River States Conference matchup with the Bearcats of Brescia in Owensboro, Kentucky.
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.
