KOKOMO, Ind. – The IU Southeast volleyball team fell 25-19, 25-23, 25-11 to IU Kokomo in the semifinals of the 2021 River States Conference Volleyball Championship on Saturday.

Emilee Organ had nine kills to lead the Grenadiers and Maggie Purichia, Macy Graves and Delaney Nichols each added four.

The Grenadiers (18-12) took a 4-1 lead to open the match behind kills from Lexie Fisher, Maggie Purichia and Emilee Organ and an ace from Hannah Brown but the Cougars came back to tie the set.

IU Southeast used a 6-2 run to take a comfortable 16-12 lead later in the period. Two kills from Organ and a kill by Macy Graves sparked the rally.

But the Cougars responded with a 9-1 run to take a 21-17 lead. Three attack errors and two IU Kokomo aces stalled the Grenadier attack.

An attack error only briefly stopped the run and four kills, including three-straight, from Erinn Adam won the first set for IU Kokomo.

In the second set, the Grenadiers fell behind 6-1 but slowly chipped away to get back in the set. A pair of kills by Audrey LaMaster, one from Organ and an ace from Brown cut the lead to 7-5 and a couple of Cougar errors then cut the deficit to 10-7.

But IU Kokomo pulled away once again as a quick 5-0 run forced an IU Southeast timeout at 15-7.

IU Southeast rallied to cut the lead to 20-17. After the Grenadiers got within striking distance, the Cougars answered again with a pair of Adam kills.

A kill from Organ, a block by LaMaster and Graves and two Adam attack errors cut the lead to 22-21 as the Grenadiers got back in the match.

After a Cougar timeout and a kill, Delaney Nichols cut the lead to one once again. But an attack error forced set point, and after a Graves kill prolonged the set, Sidney Gerig ended it with a kill.

IU Kokomo jumped out to an 11-3 lead in the third set and did not look back as the Grenadier offense could not get on track in the final period.

Lexie Fisher had 15 digs to lead the Grenadiers and Organ added 10. Cate Murphy and Hannah Brown each had 11 assists and Brown added two of the Grenadiers' four aces in the match.