HAMMOND, Ind. – The UIndy volleyball team (11-9) dropped a pair of in-region bouts on Friday at the 14th annual Midwest Region Crossover, falling in straight sets to top G-MAC seed Ashland before bowing out in a five-set thriller against the GLIAC's Michigan Tech.
 
Senior Gillian Santana etched her name in the program's record book and now ranks 15th all-time in career digs. The La Porte, Ind., product recorded 18 digs on Friday, with nine against both the Eagles and Huskies.
 
Ashland 3, UIndy 0
The Greyhounds were unable to keep the ferocious Eagles' attack at bay, as the team in white hit .303 in the sweep. UIndy led 18-12 in the third set on the heels of six kills from Hannah Sabotin; however, Ashland rattled off 13 of the next 15 points to cap the early-morning victory.
 
Sabotin finished with a match-high 14 kills, while MaKenna Barnhart led the team with 13 digs. Grace Hegwood scooped up 12 digs, adding to her eight kills and three service aces, while Sabotin totaled three blocks and Hannah Huppenbauer tallied two.
 
Michigan Tech 3, UIndy 2
Trailing 2-0 in the night cap, the Greyhounds battled back in usual fashion to force a fifth and deciding frame. The Huskies used their service to gain the edge by a final of 15-12, tallying a pair of service aces and blocking two Greyhound attack attempts.
 
Hegwood was a shining light offensively for UIndy, finishing with a match-best 22 kills, while Lauren Cullison added 14 putaways on .345 hitting from the right side. Barnhart scooped up another 33 digs in the loss, good for her best single-match total this fall.
 
Four of Santana's digs came in the third set in the midst of the Greyhound comeback.
 
INSIDE THE BOX SCORES
- Elizabeth Eads bounced back from a shaky morning match, totaling seven kills and a pair of blocks against Michigan Tech.
- Hegwood earned her sixth double-double of the season versus the Huskies, recording 15 digs.
- Claire Morris finished the day with 55 assists, 12 digs, and nine kills.
 
MORE NOTES
Santana passed Shaun McAllister on the all-time digs list. The DS now has 1,108 career scoops as a Greyhound … Ashland was won the past nine matchups with UIndy, dating back to 2002.
 
HOUND BYTES
Head coach Jason Reed: "We're proud of Gillian for cracking the top 15. She's been a staple in the lineup since her freshman season and we rely on her in all three backrow positions."
 
UP NEXT
UIndy will cap the weekend with Trevecca on Saturday, with first serve scheduled for 12:30 p.m. ET at the Hammond Sportsplex. The Greyhounds and Trojans have split the all-time series, 1-1, with the Nashville, Tenn., program snagging a four-set victory at last season's Midwest Region Crossover.