FLORENCE, S.C. – The UIndy volleyball team (1-1) cruised to a win in its first match of the season over Converse on Friday morning on the campus of Francis Marion University, as sophomore Katie Furlong led Hounds with 22 kills, besting a program-best in three sets.
 
The Galena, Ill. native hit a staggering .667 from the outside in the victory, while also picking up seven digs along the way.
 
The second match of the day failed to prove as fruitful as its predecessor, but did provide one of the better contests of the day in Florence. The Hounds ultimately fell in four sets to Anderson, with the Crimson and Grey to bookend their lone set victory with 25-23 defeats before dropping the final frame, 25-19.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED vs. Converse
The Greyhounds jumped out to a 4-0 lead with kills by Furlong and Taylor Jacquay, the latter of which would finish the match with eight kills herself. After finishing the first set with a 25-15 win, the Hounds remained in control in the second, with transfer Emily Ellis and senior Katie Voelz providing a spark in the middle to grab the 2-0 game advantage.
 
UIndy was forced to tie it twice early in the third, but six straight kills – all dished out by junior setter Alyssa Spears – gave the Hounds the final advantage. The Valkyries rattled off five in a row of their own, but Furlong iced it with three straight kills to end the match in a sweep.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED vs. Anderson
The Hounds and Trojans battled each of the four sets before the former's dwindling hitting percentage proved to be the difference maker in the loss. After Anderson grabbed the first four points of the first set, it would eventually become 23-all as Jacquay (five) and Julia Kruzan (four) combined for nine kills. The Trojans, however, would control the final two points to take the first frame.
 
Jacquay record the first three kills of the second frame as the teams ventured back and forth until a kill by Spears put the nail in the coffin for the Hounds to tie the match up at one apiece. The Trojans, once again, snuck away with the third set despite a late push by Lauren Koopman and Furlong, and the fourth was decided by two separate five-point rallies by Anderson to put UIndy away.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
Spears finished the match with 46 dimes, the most in her career, in the win over Converse. She first had 46 as a freshman at St. Joseph's College in 2016.
 
Libero Olivia Martin has now tallied seven straight matches with at least 19 digs, dating back to the last season. As a freshman, the Fort Wayne native came just four digs shy of the program record for most by a rookie. Martin recorded 21 and 28 today, respectively.
 
Three players had a double-double in the match against Anderson, including Jacquay (13 kills, 10 digs), Furlong (12 kills, 15 digs), and Spears (35 assists, 16 digs). Martin also recorded three service aces, all in the second set, in a four-point span.
 
Kruzan had the only solo block of the day for the Hounds, which came against Converse. The junior also assisted on a pair of stops against Anderson to finish with two on the day, leading the team.

HOUND BYTES
Head coach Jason Reed: "It was a good day overall. It would've been nice to come away with two wins, but we ran into a good team in Anderson that challenged us. There were a few points that could've gone one way or the other and we could be out of here 2-0. We won't get real low or real high; we have a long season ahead of us. We'll just focus on cleaning a few things up in our system, and I'm really excited to see how they'll respond to a little adversity."

Outside hitter Katie Furlong: "It was really exciting [to tie the program record with 21 kills in three sets]. I just went out there and had fun with my teammates."

Setter Alyssa Spears: "I think our strength is not exterior; a lot of us have built the mental toughness within ourselves. And our fight and will to win is strong this year, and that's why we were able to come back in those sets [against Anderson]."
 
UP NEXT
The Greyhounds wrap up the weekend tomorrow with another doubleheader, beginning again at 9 a.m. UIndy will travel to Hartsville, S.C. on the campus of Coker College for both matches, with Emmanuel on the docket first.
 
The Hounds will battle host Coker at 1 p.m.