INDIANAPOLIS – A pair of five-set nail-biters resulted in a split on day one at the UIndy Invitational for the Greyhound volleyball team, downing Saint Leo before taking a loss to Gannon in the nightcap. Both teams were receiving votes in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) national poll that was released this past Monday.
 
Katie Furlong totaled 38 kills on .291 hitting, while Taylor Jacquay and Alyssa Spears each recorded a double-double in the win over Saint Leo. With another 51 assists against Gannon on Friday, Spears surpassed 3,000 career helpers, with 2,072 coming in a UIndy uniform.
 
UIndy 3, Saint Leo 2
The Greyhounds grabbed the early lead, hitting .412 as a team against the Lions. Furlong and Emma Jones combined for seven kills, while Jacquay finished the set with a kill of her own.
 
Saint Leo controlled the tempo over the next two frames to lead 2-1, thanks in large part to hitting .385 as a unit. Kyra Simmons provided a spark off the bench in the fourth set, tallying five kills on five attempts to get the Greyhounds back on track and force a deciding game.
 
The UIndy defense stepped up in the fifth set, limiting the Saint Leo attack to a .167 hitting percentage. Jacquay recorded four kills in the frame along, while contributing on a block with Elizabeth Eads to give UIndy the win.
 
Gannon 3, UIndy 2
The Greyhounds ran out of gas in the Friday finale, but not before threatening Gannon with its second loss of the day. Just like UIndy in the opener, the Knights earned a first-set victory before the Greyhounds climbed back to take a 2-1 advantage.
 
Gannon worked UIndy in the fourth frame, winning 25-15 to gain the momentum heading into the fifth. A Furlong kill made it 8-6 in favor of the Knights, but the visitors tallied seven of the next 10 points to hand the Greyhounds their first loss of the season.
 
Furlong recorded a match-high 21 kills, while Spears totaled 51 assists. MaKenna Barnhart and Gillian Santana each scooped up 18 digs in the loss.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Spears has now recorded at least 44 assists in all five matches this season, including 50 or more on two occasions. The Heltonville, Ind., product now ranks 10th in UIndy history with 2,072 assists as a Greyhound.
- Jacquay had arguably her best performance at UIndy, tallying 14 kills and 10 digs in the win over Saint Leo. The junior attacked at a .406 clip in the win.
- After struggling a bit on the attack last weekend, the rookie Simmons added six kills on .750 hitting for UIndy against Saint Leo.
- Jena Davis led the Greyhounds with 30 digs on the day. The senior tallied 15 in each contest on Friday.
 
HOUND BYTES
Head coach Jason Reed: "I'm pretty pleased with the day overall. When we're designing this tournament, we're looking to challenge ourselves and get better. It's a great win against Saint Leo. With Gannon, they outplayed us at times and definitely outlasted us.
 
"Alyssa works her butt off. She takes the coaching to heart. It's no surprise she hit 3,000 assists, and I won't be shocked when she hits 4,000. She's been a great leader and it will just be one of many great milestones she hits along the way."
 
UP NEXT
The Greyhounds will conclude the UIndy Invitational on Saturday with a pair of in-region matches. First serve against Saginaw Valley is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Ruth Lilly, while UIndy will battle Davenport to close the tournament at 7 p.m.