FAYETTE, Iowa - Peacock Volleyball (4-8, 1-3 GLVC) wrapped up its home-opening weekend with a four-set (25-16, 23-25, 25-10, 25-17) loss to No. 21 UIndy (13-2, 3-1 GLVC) on Saturday. The Greyhounds outhit the Peacocks .400 to .105 with a 65-42 kills advantage.
Erica Conger led UIU's hitting with 10 kills. Natalie Bystol had eight kills and Faith Fisher had six kills. Morgan Block led UIU defensively with 19 digs and nine assists. Addy Vaughn totaled seven digs and a team-high three aces.
Junior setter Grace Fruzen had a double-double with 27 assists and 16 digs. She also had a service ace and four kills.
UIndy hit .406 in the opening set, led by Caitlin Blomberg with six kills. Leading 13-10, the Greyhounds scored seven of the next nine points, jump-started by a pair of kills by Maddie Lynch, to take a 20-12 lead. Two kills by Blomberg ended the set, 25-16.
Trailing 11-8 in the second set, a kill by Bystol, a service ace by Vaughn and a block by Marissa Becker and Fisher were a part of a 4-0 Peacock run. The Peacocks later trailed 21-19, but scored five of the next six points with two kills by Conger, an ace by Vaughn, a kill by Bystol and a kill by Kailey Porter.
Conger ended the second set with a kill to win it, 25-23. Her, Fisher and Porter each had four kills in the set. UIU hit a game-best .222 in the set. Fruzen tallied 12 assists on 34 attempts for a .353 assist percentage.
UIndy settled back in early in the third set, taking a quick 10-3 lead. The Greyhounds scored eight of the last 10 points to win the set, 25-10. Trailing 6-3 early in the fourth set, UIndy scored nine of the next 10 points to take a 12-7 lead. The Greyhounds scored five straight later in the set with four straight kills and a service ace. That helped UIndy win the set, 25-17, and the match.
Lynch led the match with 16 kills, while Blomberg added 14. Carly Fonda totaled 31 assists, and Amaree Haralson had 21 assists. Macy Bruton led the Greyhounds in digs with 21, while Fonda added 14.
The Peacocks had an 8-3 advantage on service aces. UIndy unblocked the Peacocks, 6-3, and outdigged the Peacocks, 66-53. UIndy also had a 61-38 assist advantage.
Upper Iowa hits the road next week to face McKendree (Ill.) (2-12, 0-4 GLVC) and Missouri-St. Louis (9-5, 4-0 GLVC) next weekend. The Peacocks are back in Dorman Memorial Gymnasium to start homecoming week on Tuesday, Oct. 6, against Clarke (5-11).
