Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

FINDLAY, Ohio – The No. 8 University of Indianapolis volleyball team was officially crowned as champions of the Findlay Fall Classic after a pair of wins on Saturday. The Greyhounds (6-2) won the tournament based on their 11-4 record in sets over the course of four matches, the best winning percentage in the tournament.

Senior Kristina Kerrigan was named most valuable player for the second tournament in a row, while being joined on the all-tournament team by sophomore setter Meghan Binkerd.

"It means a great deal to win this tournament because of the importance of regional wins. Our goal is always to get better and put ourselves in position to return to the NCAA Tournament and we were able to accomplish that this weekend," head coach Jody Rogers said.

Both wins on Saturday joined Friday's victory over Hillsdale as important Midwest Region victories against teams from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. UIndy opened the day with a victory against Wayne State, 3-1 (25-17, 19-25, 25-14, 25-23), and then closed by beating the host Oilers, 3-0 (25-20, 25-18, 25-22).

Kerrigan led all players with both 12 kills and 14 digs in the nightcap against Findlay (3-4). Amy Oldenburg added 13 digs and Binkerd notched a double-double with 34 assists, 11 digs and two blocks.

UIndy played tremendous defense and held Findlay to only 24 kills and a .055 attack percentage. The Greyhounds connected on 42 kills and a .169 attack percentage.

Findlay started fast against the Greyhounds by opening a 6-2 lead, but UIndy began to fight back with an 11-4 run to lead by three, 13-10, on kills by Binkerd and Julia Watkins. The Oilers were able to stay within one, 16-15, but UIndy pulled away again with a kill and ace from Brittany Anglemyer to lead by five, 22-17. Kerrigan stepped up again after Findlay saved two set points with the kill to secure the first set, 25-20.

UIndy took the early lead in the second set, 8-4, but four consecutive errors tied the set. UIndy took control again to build a six-point lead, 18-12, and hung on to win, 25-18, on Binkerd's tip kill on set point. UIndy needed only 10 kills in the set as it held Findlay to -.100 hitting with eight errors to just five kills.

The third set was all Findlay as it jumped to a 12-7 lead and still led by four, 20-16, late in the set when UIndy rallied. After a missed serve by UF, Watkins tallied a solo block. Binkerd added a kill and Anglemyer notched an ace during the 6-0 run that put UIndy in the lead, 22-20. After Findlay stopped the run, Kerrigan had a kill and Findlay misfired again for set point, 24-21. Findlay saved one, but then Watkins connected in the middle to end the match, 25-22.

FIRST MATCH RECAP

Kristina Kerrigan had 18 kills, 14 digs, three aces and .333 attacking to lead No. 8 UIndy volleyball past Wayne State (Mich.), 3-1 (25-17, 19-25, 25-14, 25-23), on Saturday afternoon at Croy Gymnasium in its third match of the Findlay Classic.

Meghan Binkerd dished 42 assists with 12 digs, three kills and two aces, as the Greyhounds (5-2) tallied nine service winners against the Warriors (5-3). Freshman Hailey Brown added three aces, 15 digs and eight kills. Julia Watkins added a career-high nine kills, while fellow middle Brittany Anglemyer hit .462 with seven kills.

"We needed to be more aggressive on our serving and make the passers move and that was able to take them out of system," head coach Jody Rogers said. "Wayne State is a good team and they are going to have their fair share of success in the GLIAC."

UIndy hit .243 as a team with 56 kills, while limiting Wayne State to .195 attacking with 51 kills. The Warriors benefitted from a big block that produced 13 rejections, including eight and nine kills by Essence Jackson-Jones. Madie Kent led WSU with 13 kills and match-high 21 digs.

The first set was all UIndy with a 10-1 lead before the match had barely started. The Greyhounds continued to pull away and ended the set on Kerrigan's fifth kill of the frame, 25-17. Kourtney Crawford also added five kills as UIndy hit .444 to start the match.

The Greyhounds were comfortably in control, 15-9, in the second set after a kill by Binkerd when their serve receive started to let them down. Aggressive serving by Wayne State allowed it to go on a 16-4 run to steal the set, 25-19. UIndy hit .026 with 10 kills and nine errors, including five WSU blocks, while the Warriors hit .263 with 15 kills.

UIndy used a 12-2 run to break a nine-all tie and coast to a win in the third set, 25-14. UIndy had four aces and 14 kills on .243 attacking, while its aggressive serving helped limit WSU to just eight kills and .027 attacking. Six players had two or more kills for the Crimson and Grey in the set.

The Greyhounds fell behind 12-9, but responded after a timeout to regain the lead, 13-12, on Kerrigan's ace. UIndy continued to pull away and took a 24-20 lead, but Wayne State wouldn't go down. The Warriors used three kills in a row to save the match before Kent's back row attack was wide left to secure the win for UIndy, 25-23. UIndy had to survive 17 kills from Wayne State, by hitting .268 with 13 kills and only two errors, as WSU committed seven.

The Greyhounds open Great Lakes Valley Conference play with their first matches at Ruth Lilly Center against Wisconsin-Parkside on Friday at 7 p.m. and No. 17 Lewis on Saturday at 3 p.m.