GEORGETOWN, Ky. -- No. 23 Indiana Wesleyan University volleyball opened a big weekend of competition Friday night with a split at the Boneyard Brawl hosted by Georgetown (Ky.) in Georgetown, Kentucky.

Indiana Wesleyan blew a 2-0 lead and lost 3-2 to St. Catherine’s (Ky.) in their first match of the tournament but responded with a 3-0 victory over St. Thomas (Fla.) in their final Friday contest.

Indiana Wesleyan won the first two matches against St. Catharine’s by scores of 25-17 and 25-9. But St. Catharine’s responded with wins in the final three matches by scores of 25-20, 25-23, 15-6.

Kristin Predajna (SR/Fishers, Ind.) led all players with 15 kills and a .452 hitting average. Remy Bucknor (JR/Euless, Texas) added 11 kills, two solo blocks, and five block assists while Morgan Miller (SO/Goshen, Ind.) chipped in 10 kills and two blocks. Emily Workman (SO/Tinley Park, Ill.) totaled 33 digs while Ashlen Buck (JR/Brazil, Ind.) served two aces and collected 20 digs.

“At this point in the season the question asked is how high do you want to reach,” said Wildcat head coach Candace Moats. “Our first match tonight forced us to answer that question and we knew we had more we could have given to finish that match.”

Indiana Wesleyan came back in the second match and made quick work of St. Thomas. IWU won by scores of 25-21, 25-17, 25-17.

The Wildcats hit .316 as a team against St. Thomas while Tay Thomas (SO/Suwanee, Ga.) led all players with 11 kills and two solo blocks. Katey Holler (SR/Marion, Ohio) led the team with 20 digs and two aces. Buck earned 17 digs and Lindsay Rogan (JR/Champaign, Ill.) added 10 digs while Predajna, Miller, Bucknor, and Kylie Portera (JR/Lake in the Hills, Ill.) all blocked two kill attempts.

“What I saw in the second match was what I have been waiting to see,” continued Moats. “The ladies played at a level of a top NAIA team and they had a desire to do more. If that mindset shows up for the rest of our season we will do great things.”

Indiana Wesleyan battles a pair of NAIA Top-25 opponents on Saturday to conclude the Boneyard Brawl. Indiana Wesleyan plays No. 5 Columbia (Mo.) at 1:30 p.m. and No. 18 Georgetown at 4 p.m. in the NAIA Volleyball Game of the Week.