Taylor Baird, Sierra Smith and the rest of the Grace volleyball team celebrate a win against IU Kokomo Saturday afternoon. (Photo provided by the Grace College Sports Information Department)

WINONA LAKE – Grace’s volleyball team scored an emphatic 3-0 victory over IU Kokomo on Saturday.

The Lady Lancers (4-1) excelled on the offensive side of the net, hitting at a .219 percentage as a team with 41 kills.

The Cougars (0-1), who competed at NAIA Nationals and had a record of 31-5 last season, struggled to slow down Grace’s attack.

Kelsee Zuidema’s 11 kills and Sierra Smith’s 10 kills led all players. Smith hit at a match-high .476 percentage.

IU Kokomo led in the early stages of the match. Grace built its rally on key defensive plays, including a timely solo block by Marta Bleed.

A kill by Taylor Baird gave Grace a 14-13 edge in the first set, forcing a timeout from the Cougars. The strategy did not pay off, however, as the Lady Lancers pulled away for a 25-18 win.

The second and third sets were tightly contested with Grace holding a slight lead throughout the majority of the match. Grace’s offense continued to power along, connecting on 13 kills in the second set and 15 in the third.

The Lady Lancers won the second set 25-22 and were ahead 22-17 in the third. The Cougars clawed back with a 5-1 run to chop Grace’s lead to one. But Caylie Teel blasted a momentum-shifting kill from the back row to make the score 24-22, and Grace clinched the match after a violation by the Cougars on the next point.

Sara Miller had an impressive day with 21 digs and no service errors in 14 tries. Kari Feddema tallied 7 kills on a .389 percentage to go along with 1 solo and 2 block assists.

Savannah Hart had 7 kills, 2 aces and 2 block assists, Taylor Baird passed out 34 assists to go along with 2 kills and 2 block assists, and Teel finished the match with 17 digs.

The Lady Lancers will kick off the Crossroads League season on Wednesday against the reigning league champs. Grace hosts Mt. Vernon Nazarene at 7 p.m. at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center.