INDIANAPOLIS – The UIndy volleyball team knocked off the rust on Friday night, returning home to Ruth Lilly Fitness Center for the first time in 26 days with a four-set victory over Upper Iowa.
 
Hannah Sabotin led the Greyhounds with 15 kills on .429 hitting from the middle, all while contributing eight blocks and six digs on the defensive side of the net. Speaking of defense, freshman libero Ellie Spang scooped up a season-high 29 digs in the win.
 
The Hounds and Peacocks faced off for the first time in five years, with the hosts earning their first win in the series since 2013.
 
INS & OUTS
UIndy bounced back into the win column, however, it was not without a fight from the visiting Peacocks. The key was the third set, as Sabotin knocked down six kills to help the team snag the victory by the slimmest of margins at 25-23. The frame witnessed 11 ties and three lead changes.
 
Lauren Cullison helped seal the Friday night win with a dominating fourth set from the right side. The senior tallied seven of her 13 kills in the game, while Grace Hegwood and Sophia Parlanti combined for seven finishes with zero errors.
 
The Greyhounds attacked at a .361 clip in the opening frame, with six players recording at least one kill. Morris recorded her only two kills of the evening in the first set, while handing out four helpers apiece to Hegwood and Parlanti.
 

Cully ices it! ??

Dawgs dub it up in 4?! pic.twitter.com/5bh109OdRP

— UIndy Volleyball (@UIndyVball) November 4, 2023

INSIDE THE BOX
- Four Hounds finished with double-digit kills, as setter Claire Morris dished out 52 assists.
- Morris picked up her fifth double-double of the fall, adding 14 digs to her final line.
- Overall, the match saw 32 tie scores and 12 lead changes throughout the 122-minute runtime.
- Spang tallied 11 of her digs in the fourth set; the rookie impressively recorded 27 of her 29 scoops in the final three games.
 
MORE NOTES
UIndy now leads the all-time series, 2-1 … Hegwood recorded her seventh double-double of the season, adding 13 digs to her 12 kills … of Sabotin's eight total blocks, one was a solo stop … defensive specialist Lauren Peal tacked on 10 digs in the win.
 
HOUND BYTES
Sabotin on the win…
"It was a great atmosphere. With my teammates hyping me the whole time, it made my job a lot easier."
 
Sabotin on returning from an injury in the fourth set…
"Our other players stepped up. We all took care of our responsibilities and finished the game."
 
Spang on the team…
"It's been really awesome. They work hard every single day; we work in practice on it every single day and it was awesome tonight."
 
Spang on her leadership…
"I always want to work on my voice. As the libero, you want to be the defensive leader so letting your hitters know whether to tip or swing as hard as they can I feel is helpful."
 
UP NEXT
UIndy hosts a senior day matchup on Saturday, as Truman visits Ruth Lilly for the first time since Sept. 2021. First serve with the Bulldogs is scheduled for 3 p.m.