HAMMOND, Ind. - The Upper Iowa volleyball team (4-15, 2-4 GLVC) picked up two wins on Saturday at the Midwest Region Crossover. UIU started the day with a three-set win over Kentucky Wesleyan (1-15) and then took a four-set win over Roosevelt (Ill.) (1-19). 

Sophomore Marissa Becker led the Peacocks on the day with 29 kills (4.14 per set). Lydia Imbrogno had 24 kills (3.43 per set) and a .315 attack percentage. Kailey Porter had 15 kills (2.14 per set) while hitting a team-best .429. Alexis Moses added 10 kills. 

Grace Fruzen continued to be the main setter for the Peacocks, totaling 73 assists (10.43 per set). She also added 18 digs. Morgan Block led the team in digs with 34 (4.86 per set). 

The Peacocks finished the day hitting .217 as a team while their opponents hit .084. Upper Iowa also totaled 15 service aces, while its opponents had six. Erica Conger and Imbrogno each led the team in aces with four each.

Upper Iowa is now 6-3, competing at the Midwest Crossover over the last three seasons. The 2-1 weekend is the second-best for UIU at the tournament after going 3-0 last season. 

The team returns to GLVC action next week on the road against William Jewell (Mo.) (3-15, 0-5 GLVC) and Rockhurst (Mo.) (14-6, 5-0 GLVC). The Peacocks play the Cardinals on Friday, Oct. 24, at 6 p.m. and the Hawks on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 3 p.m.

Upper Iowa 3, Kentucky Wesleyan 0

Upper Iowa came out and dominated the first set, winning it 25-12. Kentucky Wesleyan jumped out to a 10-4 lead in the second set. With the Panthers winning 18-12, UIU went on a 10-0 run featuring five KWC errors, two of which were blocks for the Peacocks. Becker also had two kills during the run. 

The Peacocks used that momentum to win the set, 25-20, closed out by Becker and Imbrogno kills. Upper Iowa jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the third set and never looked back, winning it 25-12 just like the opening frame.

Upper Iowa held Kentucky Wesleyan to a -0.04 hitting percentage in the third set, UIU hit .500 as a team in the final set. UIU finished the game with a season-best .326 hitting percentage.

Imbrogno led the team in kills with 14, while Becker added 13. Imbrogno had a stellar .667 hitting percentage. Fruzen totaled 35 assists, and Block had 12 digs. Upper Iowa had six aces and did not allow the Panthers to have a single ace in the contest. 

Upper Iowa 3, Roosevelt 1

The Lakers one a back-and-forth first set. With the score tied 23-23, Roosevelt earned the final two points on a kill by Lihi Zaibert and a service ace by Catarina Calabrese. 

Upper Iowa built early momentum in the second set with a 5-1 lead, eventually extending it to 12-5. The Peacocks kept that advantage throughout, and Imbrogno knocked down a kill to win the second set, 25-18.

The third set was more back-and-forth than the first, with neither team scoring more than three points in a row. Kills by Moses, Becker and Imbrogno down the stretch helped UIU win, 25-22. 

Becker had three kills while Imbrogno and Block each had a service ace to get an early 10-2 advantage in the fourth. UIU later extended that lead to 18-7, finding success with three kills, two blocks and a service ace on a 6-0 run. McKenna Diermeier finished the game with an ace, marking the ninth of the match for UIU. The Peacocks won the final set dominantly, 25-14. 

Becker totaled a career-high 16 kills in the win. Imbrogno and Porter each had 10 kills. Fruzen tallied 38 assists, her second-most in a match this season. Block had 22 digs, Jonker had 16 digs and Fruzen had 14 digs.