SAINT MARY-OF-THE-WOODS, Ind. – The Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College volleyball team saw its school-record 17-match winning streak come to an end Wednesday night, falling 3-1 to No. 18 IU-Kokomo inside the Knoerle Center. The Pomeroys dropped to 17-2 overall and 2-1 in River States Conference play.
IU-Kokomo (12-5, 3-0 RSC) controlled the first set 25-20 before SMWC responded with a 29-27 victory in the second frame to even the match. The Cougars, however, capitalized on late runs in each of the final two sets to close out the contest, 25-20 and 26-24.
Masa Pesic led the Pomeroys with 18 kills while hitting .317, adding three service aces and three block assists for 22.5 points.
Karla Melendez added 13 kills, two aces and five digs, while
Lisanel Rodriguez chipped in 10 kills. Setter
Aden Britt dished out 40 assists to go along with four service aces and nine digs. Defensively,
Leishmarie Virella anchored the back row with a match-high 24 digs, and
Felicia Omosebi tallied nine total blocks at the net.
IU-Kokomo was paced by Mia Niekamp with 15 kills, Lexi Broyles with 14, and Cali Cummings with 11. Allison Richman directed the Cougar offense with 25 assists.
The Pomeroys posted 58 kills, 10 aces, and 12 total team blocks, while the Cougars tallied 63 kills and hit .288 for the match. Attendance was announced at 225.
SMWC looks to bounce back at home on Tuesday, Sept. 23, when it hosts the University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy (UHSP) at 6 p.m. (ET) for Youth Night inside the Knoerle Center.
