KIAC Game of the Week: Volleyball -- Point Park at IU Kokomo
KIAC Game of the Week: Volleyball -- Point Park at IU Kokomo
Point Park (12-13, 7-1 KIAC) at IU Kokomo (24-2, 7-0 KIAC) -- Sat., Oct. 17 at 11 a.m.
Live Coverage: Live Video (courtesy of IUK)
KOKOMO, Ind. -- This week's "KIAC Game of the Week" has first place on the line in the KIAC volleyball standings when Point Park (12-13, 7-1 KIAC) visits IU Kokomo (24-2, 7-0 KIAC) on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 11 a.m. in Kokomo, Ind.
IU Kokomo, which has won 14 matches in a row and is receiving votes in the NAIA Top 25, holds a half game lead over Point Park for first place in the conference. Point Park is also hot with seven straight KIAC victories and a 12-2 overall record the last month.
The winner of Saturday's matchup will remain in first place in the conference standings. It is a tight KIAC race with the top five teams separated by just 1.5 games. And first place in the KIAC comes with an important benefit, an automatic qualification to the NAIA national tournament with the first of the conference's two bids. The other bid will go to the KIAC Tournament champion.
IU Kokomo is coming off a 3-0 win over Brescia (Ky.) on Thursday night to stay as the only team unbeaten in KIAC play. The Cougars are third in the KIAC in team hitting percentage at .214. Lindi Thomas leads the attack with a team-high 212 kills. Courtney Hanson has 461 assists, and Casey Colgate has 298. Libero Kaleigh Ensley averaged 4.45 digs per set for a total of 343 on the year.
Point Park beat WVU Tech on Tuesday to bump its conference record to 3-1. The Pioneers are second in the KIAC in total blocks with 187.5 and blocks per set at 2.2. Megan Branchick leads the team with 189 kills followed by Shiloh Simonson with 180. Simonson has a team-high 241 digs. Nikki Inquartano leads the KIAC with 93 total blocks.
Live Video of the "KIAC Game of the Week" will be provided by IU Kokomo at the link above. Follow the match on Twitter @KIACSports hashtag #KIAC and #KIACgotw.
About the KIAC Game of the Week:
Each week during the fall sports season, the KIAC will feature a marquee matchup in one of three sports -- volleyball, men's soccer or women's soccer. The KIAC Game of the Week will rotate among those three sports and put the conference schools, teams, student-athletes and campuses in the spotlight. Follow the KIACsports.com website for each week's announcement of the KIAC Game of the Week. The game of the week will be featured on the KIAC website with a recap and have any live video or live stats highlighted to increase viewership.