INDIANAPOLIS – The UIndy volleyball team (14-6) closed out the 12th annual Midwest Region Crossover on Saturday evening, splitting the day with a win over Tiffin (11-11) and a loss to Ashland (17-4).
 
Emma Jones highlighted the four-set victory against Tiffin with a season-high 19 kills on .561 hitting, with Alyssa Spears recording 59 assists and 17 digs. The offensive attack was a balanced effort against Ashland in the nightcap, however, a powerful Eagles' squad capped their weekend with a 3-0 record.
 
UIndy 3, Tiffin 1
The Greyhounds controlled pace for most of the first set, looking for set point at 24-18 after Elizabeth Eads recorded her sixth kills of the frame between a pair of Taylor Jacquay putaways. However, Tiffin rallied for six straight points and 11 of the final 14 to pull of the 29-27 comeback.
 
Dissatisfied, UIndy came out hot in the next three sets to win in four. Fourteen of Jones' 19 kills came in the final three frames, including 41 of Spears' helpers. The Greyhound defense limited the Dragons to .152 hitting, while finishing with 10 team blocks. Jones also led the way at the net, tallying two solo stops.
 
"We know one loss doesn't keep our spirits down," Spears said of the team's mentality after the loss to Saginaw Valley on Friday afternoon. "We really executed the game plan and handled business today."
 
Jones added: "I loved how we responded after losing the first set."
 
Not to be left out of the fun, junior outside hitter recorded 16 kills in the win, while Jacquay finished with 12.
 
Ashland 3, UIndy 1
It was battle over the first three sets in the first match between UIndy and Ashland since October 2015. After falling just short in the opening frame, the Greyhounds responded with a convincing 25-15 win on the heels of eight combined kills from freshman middles Elizabeth Eads and Kyra Simmons.
 
Consecutive kills from the duo gave UIndy a 15-14 advantage in the third set before Ashland pulled away late. Looking to rebound in the fourth, Furlong and Simmons put the Greyhounds up 10-6 before Jones and Jacquay made it 13-10 moments later. After tying the set at 14 apiece, Ashland all but ended the match with eight consecutive points to force both UIndy timeouts. Jacquay earned three wins on her serve late thanks to a trio of Ashland attacking errors, but the Eagles wrapped things up thereafter with a kill.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORES
-Eads and Simmons combined for 21 kills on .462 hitting against Ashland, while totaling six blocks
-Furlong tallied another 14 against the Eagles to finish with 30 on Saturday
-Five Greyhounds finished with double-digit kills against Ashland as Spears handed out another 53 assists in the loss
-MaKenna Barnhart matched Spears' dig effort against Tiffin, also scooping up a team-best 17
-Since totaling five service errors against Lewis eight days ago, Eads has now posted six aces to just three errors
 
MORE NOTES
Ashland outside hitter Brooke Peiffer registered 16 kills against UIndy, surpassing 1,000 career putaways in an Eagles uniform … UIndy defensive specialist Jena Davis is now just 42 digs away from 1,000 career scoops … Ashland has now won the past eight meetings with UIndy, dating back to September 2005.
 
UP NEXT
The Greyhounds will finish out conference action over the next four weekends. UIndy welcomes Southern Indiana and McKendree next Friday and Saturday at Ruth Lilly Fitness Center.