OMAHA, Neb. - The Indiana University Kokomo volleyball team concluded play at the College of St. Mary Labor Day Classic Saturday, beginning the day with a sweep of Hastings College before closing the weekend with a five-set loss to #10 University of Providence after trailing by two sets.

FAST FACTS - 3-0 Win vs Hastings College

• LOCATION: Lied Fitness Center | Omaha, NE 
• UPDATED RECORDS: IU Kokomo - 5-3 (0-0), Hastings College - 3-6 (0-0)
• NAIA TOP-25 RANKINGS: IU Kokomo - #8, Hastings College - N/A

THE RUNDOWN 

• IU Kokomo carried the momentum over from Friday evening's dominant win over (RV) Benedictine (Kan.), rolling over the Mustangs of Hastings College in straight sets to improve to 2-1 on the weekend. 
• The Cougars and Mustangs traded points for much of the first set, with Hastings remaining within strike distance of the eighth-ranked Cougars. Leading 17-16, IU Kokomo utilized a 7-0 run to lead 24-16 en-route to a first-set victory.
• 13th year Head Coach Heather Hayes's team took the first five points of the second set to set the tone once again, as the Cougs led 13-6 midway through the set. The Mustangs refused to go away quietly however, trimming the deficit to two at 21-19 and forcing an IUK timeout. Leading 23-21, kills on consecutive points from Mia Niekamp and Mya Grigsby gave the Cougars a 2-0 lead after the 25-21 second set victory.
• Hastings College came out of the gates strong in the third, doubling the Cougars up at 10-5 to force an early timeout. A 6-0 run from IU Kokomo tied things up at 12 before a quick 4-0 spurt gave the Cougars a 16-15 lead. The two sides were knotted at 20 before IU Kokomo won the final five points thanks to four kills and an ace, taking the third 25-20 and the match in straight sets.

LEADING THE CHARGE

• Mya Grigsby played well Saturday morning, totaling 15 kills while hitting .481 for the match. She also recorded six digs and four service aces.
• Mia Niekamp added eight kills with a .429 hitting percentage, as Lexi Broyles floored seven kills on 13 attempts.
• Allison Richman collected a team-high 21 assists while Macy Chafin added 16. 
• The IU Kokomo defense totaled 12 block assists and a pair of solo blocks.

FAST FACTS - 3-2 Loss vs #10 University of Providence

• LOCATION: Lied Fitness Center Fieldhouse | Omaha, NE 
• UPDATED RECORDS: IU Kokomo - 5-4 (0-0), University of Providence - 7-1 (0-0)
• NAIA TOP-25 RANKINGS: IU Kokomo - #8, University of Providence - #10

THE RUNDOWN 

• The 10th ranked Argos of Providence entered the match yet to drop a set on the weekend, and it was easy to see why early on. The Argos won 11 of the first 13 points on their way to taking the first set.
• It was IU Kokomo who got off to the quick start in the second set, as the two teams traded runs for the lead midway through. Providence's 6-0 run proved to be the difference however, as they took a 2-0 lead after a 25-21 set two win.
• Just as they were in the second, IU Kokomo and Providence were locked in a back-and-forth affair halfway through the third, yet this time the Cougars remained within striking distance. The Argos led 23-18 and were just two points from closing out the match in three, yet a 4-0 run from IU Kokomo pulled the Cougars within one.
• After saving three match points, a Providence attack error sandwiched between Niekamp and Broyles kills gave IU Kokomo a thrilling 28-26 set-three victory to stay alive in the battle of Top-10 teams.
• IU Kokomo seemed to hold a minimal lead for much of the fourth set, leading by one before winning seven of eight points for a commanding 21-14 lead. Niekamp closed out a 25-18 set four win with consecutive kills, as the Cougars and Argos headed to a decisive fifth-set.
• The Cougar offense was rolling early in the fifth as they led 4-2 early, yet the Argos battled back to tie things at seven and force a timeout. With the set tied at nine, Providence won five-straight points to take control before winning 15-11 for a 3-2 victory. 

LEADING THE CHARGE

• Four Cougars recorded double-digit kills in the five-set thriller with Providence, led by St. Henry, Ohio's Mia Niekamp. Niekamp finished with 16 kills and a strong hitting percentage of .394.
• Mya Grigsby followed with 15 kills and 12 digs for her fourth double-double of the season, while Lexi Broyles added 13 and Cali Cummings tallied 11.
• After moving to Libero in the middle of the match, sophomore Avery Littrell totaled a match-high and career-high 22 digs to lead the Cougars defensively.
• Setters Allison Richman and Macy Chafin finished with 29 and 28 assists respectively. 
• Maggie Machado added an IUK career-high 13 digs, while Chloe Carpenter contributed 10 and freshman Alexa Miedema finished with a career-high of her own with nine digs.

INSIDE THE HUDDLE

• "This was a great tournament that brought in some of the best teams in the nation for preseason action, and it really serves as a measuring stick for where we are and where we need to be come postseason. I thought this weekend we turned a corner and made some real progress as a group. We saw glimpses of the team we are capable of being, and the changes we made to our lineup showed some real positive signs. We'll continue to fine tune it moving forward," said Head Coach Heather Hayes.
• Hayes continued, saying "right now, the biggest key for us is learning how to consistently be the aggressor. Too often we play not to lose, and that leads to being a little timid. But when we have that attacking mindset, the sky's the limit. We ended the weekend with a tough five-set battle against the No. 10 team in the nation, and while it stings to come up short, there were so many positives to take away. If we can build consistency and maintain that aggressive approach, good things are ahead for this team."

THE ROAD AHEAD

• Next Matches: IU Kokomo Volleyball Invitational, 9/5 - 9/6: vs (RV) Cumberlands, vs Campbellsville, vs Madonna, vs IU South Bend

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.