SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – The Spring Arbor University volleyball team lost to No. 20 Indiana Wesleyan University 3-0 (18-25, 12-25, 21-25) in its home and conference opener on Wednesday night.
The Cougars stayed even with the defending Crossroads League champions in the opening set, trailing 11-10, midway through. However, the Wildcats (6-3, 1-0 CL) would score nine of the next 12 points to pull away en route to a first set win.
In the second set, the Cougars weren't able to overcome the high-powered Wildcat offense, who hit .435 in the frame to take a two-sets-to-none lead.
Freshman Olivia Landis used a pair of kills to help propel SAU out to an early 6-3 lead in the third stanza. The youthful Cougar squad continued to battle back-and-forth with one of the nation's top teams, holding a 19-16 edge late in the set. A string of SAU errors, however, would lead to a 7-0 IWU run, allowing the visitors to regain the momentum and escape with a 25-21 win to complete the sweep.
Sophomores Alexis Long and Rebekah Kujat finished the match with six and five kills, respectively, while Landis, Leah Rose and Courtney Kyser all recorded four. Sophomore Laura Hardy handed out 11 assists and freshman Gabrielle Hilliard added nine more. Senior libero Lyndsay Murray posted a team-high 11 digs.
The Cougars (1-8, 0-1 CL) will look to bounce back when they host Lourdes University in a non-conference match on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 1 p.m.
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