OMAHA, Neb. – The Indiana University Kokomo volleyball team was back in action Saturday for the second and final day of the GoSarpy.com Labor Day Classic. The Cougars took down (RV) Our Lady of the Lake in straight-sets before falling to #13 Bellevue in three.

Match One
The Cougars got off to a strong start against the Saints of Our Lady of the Lake, jumping out to a 5-2 lead to force an OLLU timeout. The Saints won three-straight points out of the timeout, but it was IU Kokomo who led 13-11 halfway through set one.

Trailing 16-12 and coming out of another timeout OLLU won four-consecutive points to knot the set at 16. Leading 19-18, the Cougars would win six of the next seven points to take the set 25-19.

The Saints took an early set two lead, and found themselves in the lead still at the halfway point of the set at 13-10. It was then that the Cougars would utilize a 4-0 run to take their first lead of the set at 14-13. The Cougs led 20-17, but after OLLU won a pair of points in a row, head coach Heather Hayes called a timeout to rally her squad. IU Kokomo won four-consecutive points out of the timeout to take a 24-19 lead, going on to win set two 25-21.

IU Kokomo won the opening three points of the third set, and would extend their lead to four at 12-8 to force an OLLU timeout. Leading by just two at 19-17, IUK won four straight points, with the final two being Audrey Strawsma aces, to take a 23-17 lead. After a slight scare down the stretch, the Cougars would close out a three-set win over (RV) Our Lady of the Lake with a 25-21 third-set victory.

Strawsma enjoyed a strong first match of the day, totaling team-highs in kills and aces with 13 and four respectively, while also collecting six digs. Lexi Broyles had 10 kills and a team-high four blocks.

Kaley Lyons had a double-double of 21 assists and 10 digs, while Alyvia Smith tallied 15 digs. Allison Richman added 12 assists.

Match Two
Sophomore Lexi Broyles shined in the fourth and final match in two days for the Cougars, leading the team in kills and blocks with 13 and four, respectively.

Kaley Lyons put together her second double-double in as many matches Saturday with a team-high 16 assists to go along with 15 digs. Allison Richman contributed 15 kills and three blocks. Alyvia Smith led the Cougars in digs with 19, while Ellie Garland added 10.

The opening set was neck-and-neck for the first 15 points, but it was the Cougars who distanced themselves first. IU Kokomo took a 10-7 lead, but #13 Bellevue immediately responded with five-straight points of their own to take a two-point lead and force an IUK timeout.

IU Kokomo did well to battle back and tie the set at 18 apiece, but the Bruins would win seven of the final 11 points to take the opening set 25-22.

Bellevue dominated set-two from the start, taking an early 7-2 lead to force an IUK timeout. The Bruins would win set-two 25-15 to take a 2-0 match lead.

The Cougars controlled play early in the third-set, as they managed to maintain a lead. By the midway point of the set, IU Kokomo built a 14-10 lead, forcing a Bruins timeout. Bellevue won the following five-points out of the timeout to regain control with a 15-14 lead. The Bruins maintained a lead for the remainder of the set, taking the third set 25-20 and the match 3-0.

The Cougars will return to action next Friday and Saturday, as they are set to compete in Taylor University's Amber McClure Fayerweather Memorial Tournament.

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.