LIBERTY, Mo. – In need of a conference victory, UIndy volleyball scratched and clawed for a 3-2 (25-21, 21-25, 25-18, 19-25, 15-13) win at William Jewell Saturday.

The close decision improved the Greyhounds' record to 13-15 overall and 9-6 in Great Lakes Valley Conference play with three matches remaining.

Junior Becca Lira led the way with 20 kills, her fourth 20-kill performance of the campaign. Otherwise, the Greyhound attack struggled to find consistency, finishing with a .149 hitting percentage – lowest of any victory this season.

"It was an ugly match today," third-year head man Jason Reed noted. "We really struggled to get into a rhythm offensively. Becca (Lira) was a real bright spot playing well all the way around."

Defensively, the Greyhounds totaled 98 digs, good for their second-highest mark of the year. Senior Hailey Brown paced all individuals with 26 digs, followed by freshman Maggie Gibson (17), senior Jamie Wallace (14), freshman Bri Heffernan (12) and Lira (11).

The Cardinals jumped on the Greyhounds right out of the gate, grabbing a 5-1 lead, but the Hounds eventually settled in and used an 8-3 run to grab their first advantage. Although the opening set was closely contested, UIndy managed to maintain a lead for the remainder of the way en route to a 25-21 win.

Set two proved to be just as tight, but a brief 7-1 WJC spurt gave the Cardinals just enough breathing room to even the match at 1-1, winning 25-21.

The third frame appeared to be heading down the same narrow path as the first two, but with the set tied 6-6 the Hounds tore off a 14-5 run that put them in position to grab a 2-1 match lead. Junior Becca Lira led the team offensively, recording five of her match-high 20 kills in the set.

But the Cardinals got off the mat and responded, winning the fourth set 25-19 to force a fifth. Four different Cardinals finished with three or more kills.

The decisive set featured nine ties and a pair of lead changes, fought as tightly as the four sets that preceded it. With the score tied 13-13, a pair of WJC errors helped UIndy seal the set and match victory. Despite the shortened set, Brown racked up nine digs, a match-high for all players in any set.

"We're finding out how hard it is to win on the road in this conference," Reed said. "We are happy about the win and looking forward to getting back to work on Monday. We have a lot to play for this week."

UIndy is back home Tuesday Nov. 10 against Saint Joseph's at 7 p.m. in Ruth Lilly Fitness Center, before finishing up the regular season by hosting No. 18 Lewis and Wisconsin-Parkside next weekend. At 9-6 in the GLVC, the Hounds are fourth in the East Division – a game back of Parkside (10-5) – but lead all wild card contenders. The top three teams from each division plus the two wildcards will make up the GLVC Tournament at season's end.

NOTES
- The Greyhounds are 4-0 all-time versus William Jewell since first meeting in 2012.
- Maggie Gibson recorded her ninth double-double of the season (52 assists, 17 digs).