Box score
Grand Valley St. 3, UIndy 1

ALLENDALE, Mich.- The fourth-seeded University of Indianapolis volleyball team fell to the region's top seed in four sets at the NCAA Midwest Regional at Fieldhouse Arena Saturday.  Grand Valley State topped UIndy 19-25, 25-16, 25-21, 25-23 for its school-record 35th straight home win.

The schools traded points through the early going, but with the score knotted at 15, UIndy scored three straight to seize the lead.  A second-hit kill from Beth Robbins was sandwiched between scoring swings by Lyndsay Callahan and Courtney Anglemyer to give the Hounds momentum.

The cushion was small but it held as the Lakers got no closer than three the rest of the way to give the Hounds a 1-0 lead.

The Greyhounds' momentum was short-lived as Grand Valley sprinted out to a 10-1 advantage in the second set, a lead that proved too great.  The Lakers, the No.3 squad in Division II, took the frame by that exact margin, using a lofty .412 hitting percentage to tie the match at one set apiece.

In the third, Grand Valley (31-3) kept the pressure on by again out-hitting the Greyhounds by a wide margin.  The Hounds persevered to grab a 19-17 lead in hopes of taking the set.  UIndy again led by two in a 20-18 tally, but GVSU managed to score seven of the final eight points to go up 2-1.

With the Greyhounds facing elimination in the fourth frame, Grand Valley scored four straight on three kills and a block to earn the early 6-2 edge.  UIndy rallied to tie it at nine on an ace from Callahan, starting a string of seven ties, the last of which coming a 18-18.

The Lakers scored three straight to force a timeout and later earned a 24-20 advantage to push UIndy to the brink.

The Greyhounds (29-10) did not go quietly as UIndy threaten to extend the match with a 3-0 mini run, one that included two block assists from Hannah Kelzer.  It was not enough, however, as Grand Valley scored the match's final point to take the set and the match.

Freshman Kristina Hefferan killed 13 balls on 45 swings.  Callahan hit .367 with 11 kills and 15 digs, Cheneta Morrison totaled 10 kills and four blocks, and Kelzer picked up six digs and a team-high five blocks.  Junior libero Kyleigh Turner had 20 digs.

The loss capped the collegiate careers of seniors Ashley Fallos and Beth Robbins.  As part of the winningest class in program history, the two helped the Greyhounds to 110 victories to set the school record for most wins in a four-year span.

A two-time All-GLVC First Team honoree, Robbins finished her career with a school-record 4,868 assists and 1,057 digs (9th all-time) and became the program's first All-American by garnering Third Team All-American nod from Daktronics last season.

With Robbins spending the last four season at the setter's position, Fallos filled many roles for Coach Butera, including libero, outside hitter, and defensive specialist.  The Gurnee, Ill. native totaled 1,332 career digs, good for third in the Greyhound annals.

UIndy's 29 victories this year left the Hounds just short of the school's second straight 30-win season.  The '08 Greyhounds tied the program's second-highest win total as the 2003 squad went 29-11, a team that also lost to Grand Valley in the NCAAs.

GVSU will defend its regional title against Saginaw Valley State at 7 p.m. Sunday.  The Lakers have reached the NCAA Elite Eight in six of the last eight years, a run that included a national championship in 2005.

Robbins and Turner were eventually named to the Midwest Region All-Tournament Team.

2008 Midwest Region All-Tournament Team
Beth Robbins, S Indianapolis
Kyleigh Turner, L Indianapolis
Natalie Forbes, S Northern Kentucky
Kristina Eisenmenger, OPP Northern Kentucky
Kim Nemcek, MH Northern Kentucky
Kait Harris, S Saginaw Valley State
Sarah Redoute, OH Saginaw Valley State
Carmen Schacher, L Saginaw Valley State
Jamie Ashmore, S Grand Valley State
Danielle Alexander, MH Grand Valley State
Lauren Reber, OH Grand Valley State
Whitney Tremain, OH Grand Valley State

Tournament MVP: Whitney Tremain, OH, Grand Valley State

Click here to view rMidwest Regional results. Click here to view a photo gallery.

Note:  UIndy has registered a win against two schools in this year's Elite Eight.  The Hounds downed the champions of the South Region, Nova Southeastern, in five sets Sep. 5 before beating Atlantic Region-champ California (Pa.) on its home floor Sep. 26.  Both schools advanced to the national quarterfinals with wins this weekend...Grand Valley St. would go on to win the Midwest Region with a 3-1 victory against Saginaw Valley St.