IUK sports roundup for Sunday, Oct. 29
Oct. 28—Update: This story has been updated to include the soccer team's opponent for the opening round of the conference tournament.
The IU Kokomo women's soccer team beat Rio Grande 2-0 Saturday afternoon at Kokomo Municipal Stadium to win the River States Conference's regular-season title.
Kaiya Bogers gave the Cougars a 1-0 lead when she scored off Kelsi Hoot's assist in the 37th minute. Mackenzie Gibbons made it 2-0 when she scored off Keely Hoopingarner's assist in the 72nd minute.
IUK goalkeeper Sydney Miller needed just one save for the clean sheet.
The Cougars (10-3-5 overall) finished 8-0-2 in the league. Point Park (7-1-2) took second place and Rio Grande (6-1-3) took third.
Next up is the conference tournament, which features the top eight teams. IUK hosts No. 8 seed West Virginia Tech (4-12-1) in a quarterfinal match at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4, at Kokomo Municipal Stadium.
The tournament winner will take the conference's automatic berth to the NAIA national tournament.
VOLLEYBALL
NAIA No. 14-ranked IUK breezed past Brescia 25-14, 25-11, 25-12 in an RSC match Saturday at IUK's Student Activities and Events Center.
The Cougars (27-3, 17-0 RSC) have won 22 straight matches, including 10 straight by 3-0 sweeps. They already have clinched the RSC's regular-season title with two matches remaining.
Kaley Lyons dished 16 assists to fuel the offense. Allison Richman added eight assists. Audrey Strawsma had seven kills and Lexi Broyles floored five kills. Defensively, Strawsma and Kelsey Hammond had three blocks apiece, Broyles had two blocks and Alyvia Smith had 10 digs.
IUK closes the regular season with road matches against Midway on Friday and against IU Southeast on Saturday.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
IUK won Governors State's Tip-Off Classic by beating the host school in the opening round and beating NAIA No. 19 William Penn in the championship.
IUK beat Governors State 85-78 on Friday. Former Western standout Evan Kretz went 6 of 7 from 3-point range and scored a game-high 24 points, Noah Harris scored 17 points and Max Newman had an all-around line of 12 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
The Cougars followed with a 90-60 rout of William Penn in the championship. Newman led the way with another all-around game — 22 points, 11 rebounds and three assists. Ty Willis and Julien Hunter scored 14 points apiece and Jackson Hunter had 10 points and four assists.
IUK (2-0) plays in the Bevo Francis Invitational next weekend at Rio Grande, Ohio.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
IU South Bend beat IUK 80-40 Saturday at South Bend.
Olivia Dowden led IUK (0-1) with seven points.
The Cougars visit Kuyper College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Wednesday.
