Upper Iowa University Athletics

ROLLA, Mo. - Grace Fruzen surpassed 1,000 career assists in Upper Iowa volleyball's (4-6, 1-1 GLVC) three-set (25-18, 25-22, 25-16) win over Missouri S&T (7-6, 0-2 GLVC) on Saturday afternoon. The junior setter became the ninth player in program history to reach quadruple digits in assists. 

Fruzen totaled 36 assists in the contest, allowing three different Peacock attackers to reach double digits in kills. She picked up her 1,000th career assist in the second set on a kill by Erica Conger to go up 12-9. 

The Peacocks never trailed in the first set, opening the match on a 7-0 run. Three of the seven points were on kills by freshman Natalie Bystol. UIU won the opening set after tallying 16 kills, five by Bystol, and hitting .324. 

Tied at 6-6 in the second set, a 5-0 run aided by two Conger kills and a Fruzen kill. S&T battled back to tie the game at 21-21 before an Alexis Moses kill halted the 5-0 Miner run. Kills by Conger and Moses helped UIU win the set, 25-22. 

Two service aces in the third set by Conger helped the Peacocks jump out to an early 8-4 lead. A pair of kills by Bystol, an ace by Fruzen, and a kill by Moses ended the set, 25-16. Fruzen totaled a game-high 17 assists in the third set with a 50% assist percentage.

Fruzen becomes the latest member to join the 1,000-assist club since Nicole Pozorski, who has the program record in assists. The junior added two service aces and 16 digs to her totals in the contest.

Morgan Block finished the game with 20 digs and a perfect 13-for-13 on service receptions at libero. Marissa Becker had the second-most digs with 11, Bystol added eight digs and Avery Agnew had six digs. Becker was 12-for-12 on service receptions.

Bystol and Conger each led the Peacocks with 11 kills. Conger had a .333 hitting percentage. Becker added 10 kills. Moses finished the game with six kills, a .385 hitting percentage and three blocks. 

Missouri S&T was led by Selin Ozdemir and Danielle Wilker with nine kills each. Maggie Miller totaled 18 assists. Adelyn Weiler had a team-high 21 digs.

The Peacocks outkilled the Miners, 49-31. UIU had seven aces to S&T's three. The Peacocks had a major dig advantage, 65-43. 

Upper Iowa has its home opener on Friday against Lewis (Ill.) (8-5, 2-0 GLVC) in Dorman Gymnasium at 6 p.m. The Flyers picked up a pair of four-set victories this weekend against Quincy (Ill.) (9-5, 0-2 GLVC) and Illinois Springfield (3-9, 0-2 GLVC).