Hammond, Ind.- For the first time in nearly a decade, the University of Findlay volleyball team went a perfect 2-0 to kick off the 17th Annual Midwest Region Volleyball Crossover. The two day event, which features 38 teams from the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC), the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Conference (GLIAC), and the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC), got underway Friday, Oct. 17. Findlay opened the day against the Northern Michigan Wildcats before closing it out with a matchup against the Indianapolis Greyhounds. With the wins, the Oilers improve to 14-2 on the year.

In their first match of the day, the Oilers swept the Wildcats of the GLIAC 3-0 (25-20 , 25-17, 25-14). 

Findlay and Northern Michigan traded points throughout the opening set, with neither team leading by more than two, before the Oilers surged ahead by winning seven of the final eight points to claim the set by five. Findlay carried that momentum into the next two sets, cruising to victories by eight points in the second and eleven in the third.

As a team, Findlay hit an impressive .344 with 45 kills on 93 attempts while committing only 13 errors. Defensively, the Oilers limited Northern Michigan to a .092 hitting percentage, allowing just 25 kills on 87 attempts with 17 errors.

The Oilers were led by senior Makenna Belcher who recorded eleven kills. With her performance today, she surpassed 1,000 career kills, combining her totals from Ashland University and Findlay. The Marengo, Ohio native also added two blocks and seven digs in the win. 

Senior Lauren Foerster also contributed eleven kills while hitting a season-high .714. She also added three blocks. Leading the Oilers in blocks was junior Abria Lomax who had seven. 

Junior Hannah Miller also turned in a strong performance for the Oilers, tallying eight kills on a .438 hitting percentage. She added a season-high four aces, along with one block and five digs.

Senior Emma White continued to run an efficient offense for UF, recording 35 assists. White also led the squad with nine digs. 

In the nightcap, Findlay pulled out a thrilling 3-2 (25-23, 25-16, 15-25, 11-25, 15-12) win over Indianapolis.

Indianapolis grabbed a 18-13 lead midway through the first set, but Findlay rallied late, scoring seven of the final eight points, including six straight, to take the 25-23 win.

The Oilers got off to a fast start in the second set, building a lead of 14-6 and cruising to a 25-16 win. However, the third and fourth sets were a struggle for Findlay, as Indianapolis held them to just .040 and .033 hitting percentages, capitalizing on the Oilers' shaky passing. Indianapolis pushed the match to a fifth set, aiming for the reverse sweep.

In the fifth and deciding game, Findlay got off to a fast start, leading 8-5 at the switch. The Oilers held a four-point advantage for most of the set, and although the Greyhounds saved three match points, a late attack error gave Findlay the 15-12 win.

As a team, the Oilers finished with a .222 hitting percentage, totaling 61 kills on 153 attempts and committing 27 errors. Indianapolis, meanwhile, hit .270 with 56 kills on 141 attempts and just 18 errors.

Senior Makenna Belcher once again led the way for Findlay. She recorded 17 kills while hitting .227. Junior Hannah Miller chipped in 13 kills while recording three aces, seven digs and a block.

Senior Lauren Foerster was another standout for the Oilers, contributing 14 kills on a .417 hitting percentage and adding three blocks. Fellow senior Alana Pohlman also reached double-digit kills with 12, along with three blocks.

Emma White spread the offense, amassing 51 assists in the win. She also led the team with 17 digs. Sophomore Grace Auer recorded 12 digs.

Findlay returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 18, to wrap up the 17th Annual Midwest Region Volleyball Crossover with a matchup against Rockhurst at 2pm CT / 3pm ET. The Oilers will look to go 3-0 at the event for the first time since 2016.