FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Freshman Mya Grigsby's 12 kills, four aces and 19 digs led NAIA No. 16 IU Kokomo to a 25-22, 25-17, 25-20 women's volleyball victory Friday against Xavier University of Louisiana in the Onset Invitational.
        The Gold Nuggets (1-1) will play twice Saturday in this event: 9 a.m. against IU East and 1:15 p.m. against Columbia International. Times are Eastern Daylight.
        Grigsby, a 5-foot-10 outside hitter, produced two kills and an ace during a 13-2 second-set run, and her back-to-back aces keyed a 5-0 run that put the Cougars (4-1) ahead to stay in the third set.
        Kamea Uitenham had 13 kills for XULA, and teammate Sydney Murray had 11. Bengisu Kazazlar produced a double-double, 17 assists and 10 digs. Felise Jones had 17 assists, Ruxandra Flueras had 17 digs, and Kennedy Campbell and Taylor Parker produced three blocks apiece.
        Uitenham, Jones and Campbell are freshmen.
        IU Kokomo's Lexi Broyles, a third-team All-American in 2023, hit .300 with eight kills.
        The Cougars outhit the Gold Nuggets .217 to .124 — .524 to .250 in the second set — but XULA led 37-35 in kills, 7-4 in blocks and 53-49 in digs.
        NOTES:  IU Kokomo denied XULA its first 2-0 record on opening day. Earlier Friday, the Gold Nuggets won in three sets against host Saint Francis . . . XULA was 1-1 on opening day nine other times in its 17 seasons . . . IU Kokomo was 34-4 last season and won last week against No. 1 Indiana Wesleyan and No. 6 Midland at Indiana Wesleyan's tournament . . . Like the Gold Nuggets, both XULA Saturday opponents were among "others receiving votes" in the NAIA preseason coaches poll . . . XULA's two-match leaders were Murray with 23 kills — one more than Uitenham — and a .250 hitting percentage, Kazazlar and Jones with 31 assists apiece, Jones with four aces, Flueras with 31 digs and Parker with seven blocks . . . XULA's home opener will start at 7:30 p.m. Thursday against NAIA No. 7 Columbia (Mo.) in the Big Easy Blastoff at the Convocation Center.