LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Clutch scoring and significant individual performances lifted UIndy volleyball past Bellarmine Saturday, 3-1 (27-25, 25-21, 25-20, 28-26), in Knights Hall.
The defining moment came in the decisive fourth set. After winning the third to extend the match, 25-20, the Knights (9-15, 2-9 GLVC) rolled that momentum into the fourth and took a seemingly-insurmountable 24-20 lead, threatening to force a fifth set on their home court.
The Greyhounds (10-14, 6-5) were resilient, however, scoring three quick points – including two kills from freshman
Katie Voelz – to force a Bellarmine timeout. Out of the break, sophomore
Kacee Salyers delivered a kill to even the match at 24-24. The teams traded points to get to 26-26, before Salyers drove home two consecutive kills to cap the comeback and seal the win.
"I was really proud of how we closed out the match," Head Coach
Jason Reed said, following the divisional victory. "We got really big contributions offensively from
Becca Lira and
Kacee Salyers, and
Hailey Brown was an absolute vacuum."
Salyers totaled a career-high 19 kills to lead the Greyhound attack, including eight in the final match-winning set. Lira finished with 16 kills, 12 digs and four blocks.
Brown's incredible defensive performance led to a career-best 34 digs, helping UIndy finish with a season-high 103.
Freshman
Maggie Gibson finished with a career-high 54 assists to go along with 17 digs. Senior
Jamie Wallace tallied a career-high 16 digs, and freshman
Bri Heffernan recorded 11.
Reed continued: "More important than any individual effort was how we battled and didn't give in at any point. This was a really important match and we found a way to win."
For the fourth time in their last six matches the Hounds finished with double-digit blocks, led by Voelz and junior
Shelby Ruffner who had five each. Lira finished with four blocks, and Gibson and Salyers each had two.
The two squads went back and forth in the opening set, neither side able to create separation on the scoreboard in a game that featured 10 ties. With the score tied 25-25, freshman
Kate Bontrager used her touch to drop in a kill in the center of the Bellarmine defense. The Knights committed an attack error on the following point, leading to a 27-25 victory for the Hounds.
Set two was equally close, despite a quick start from the Knights. Down, 10-7, UIndy reeled off a 9-3 run to force a Bellarmine timeout. The Knights pulled even at 17-17, but the Hounds used timely 7-1 stretch to pull away, winning the set 25-21.
UIndy returns home next weekend, hosting Quincy Friday, Oct. 30, at 7 p.m. before facing Truman State the following day at 3 p.m.
NOTES- UIndy is 42-19 all-time against Bellarmine, winning 17 of the last 19 meetings.
- The Greyhounds' 103 digs marks their highest total since racking up 114 against Rockhurst in the NCAA Midwest Regional last season (11/19/14).
- Brown's previous career-high was 26 digs, set against Southern Indiana (10/5/13). Her 34 digs was six short of tying the program's single-match record.
- Salyers' previous career-high was 15 kills vs. Clarion earlier this season (9/5/15).
- Wallace's career-best in digs was 13, most recently against McKendree (10/10/15).
- Gibson's previous career-high 51 assists was against UW-Parkside (10/2/15).
- Ruffner has had at least three blocks in each of the last nine matches.
