The IU Southeast volleyball team fell just short of forcing a fifth set, after a comeback in the Tuesday Oct. 21 match against Kentucky Wesleyan.  The Grenadiers lost the match 3-1.

IU Southeast started off the match down 9-5, but was able to go on a 5-1 run to tie the match at 10-10.  The rest of the first set went back and forth until Kentucky Wesleyan was able to finish off the set 26-24.

The Grenadiers controlled much of the second set, but down 24-20, the Panthers scored three straight points, cutting the lead to just one.  However, IU Southeast was able to grab the last point to win the set 25-23.

Kentucky Wesleyan came out strong in the third set, jumping out to a 10-3 lead over the Grenadiers.  IU Southeast tried to mount a comeback down 24-16. They scored three straight points, cutting the lead to five, but the Panthers were able to hold on and win the third set 25-19.

Down as much as nine points in the fourth set, the Grenadiers got within one point, 23-22, but Kentucky Wesleyan was able to hang on and get the final two points they needed to win the set and the match.

“We have a tendency to want to win a little too late,” Eric Brian, head coach, said.

Meaghen Tompkins, senior setter, led the Grenadiers with 24 assists.  Senior outside hitter, Kristyn Maymon, and freshman outside hitter, Michala Beasley, led the team with 12 kills each.

Tompkins said that her team shows a lot of resilience by coming back, after trailing in a set.

“We have a lot of perseverance and that when the chips are down we’re ready to comeback firing even harder than if we were up by 20 points,” Tompkins said.

Tompkins said that bouncing back from another loss is about skills and being mentally tough.

“It’s making sure that we have the drive to show up and be here and want to win, Tompkins said.  “But at the same time it’s working on skills and doing everything we can to make the games more enjoyable and better.”

Brian said the key to getting back to winning games is the will to win.

“We have an incredibly talented team, we have good leaders on the team, we have so many things going for us,” Brian said. “We just have to want to win more than the other team.”

The Grenadiers are currently 12-16 overall and 6-3 in the KIAC. Their next game is 7 p.m. in the Activities Building against St. Catharine College.  It will be the last home game of the year for IU Southeast.