No. 21-Ranked Creighton Holds Off UNI, 3-2

Thursday, December 1

Lawrence, Kan.

4 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

24-10

Creighton

27-6

UNI

Creighton

No. 21-Ranked Creighton Holds Off UNI, 3-2

12/1/2016 7:24:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

Post-Match Press Conference (YouTube)

LAWRENCE, Kan. - The University of Northern Iowa volleyball team attempted to evoke the memories of 2001 but the No. 21-ranked Creighton Bluejays had other thoughts on Thursday in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament.

On Dec. 1, 2001, UNI rallied from a two-set deficit against Minnesota and reached the Sweet 16 of the 2001 NCAA Tournament. This time around the Panthers trailed 2-0 to the Bluejays at the intermission and nearly completed the comeback.

Creighton (27-6 overall) won by set scores of 25-16, 25-20, 24-26, 14-25, 15-12. UNI completes is 2016 season with an overall record of 24-10.

The Bluejays had their way with the Panthers in the opening two sets as Creighton pounded out 33 kills and limited UNI to only 15 kills.

The opening set was tied 8-8 until a 5-0 run by the Bluejays gave the No. 21-ranked squad the momentum. Creighton hammered away in the opening set and posted 15 kills with a .379 hitting percentage. UNI was held to to nine kills and eight attack errors for a .029 hitting percentage.

UNI trailed 10-5 in that second set before turning it around and taking a 17-13 lead. But just as quickly, Creighton erased the four-point advantage and tied the set at 17-17. After a 19-19 tie, Creighton scored three in a row and finished the set on a 6-1 run. Creighton added 18 kills in the second set, while UNI was limited to six kills and six errors.

Creighton appeared ready to close out the match with a 3-0 sweep as the Bluejays built a 24-22 lead in the third. However, the Panthers dug in and fought off two match points as the Panthers got kills from Piper Thomas and Bri Weber. Thomas then fired off two more kills to give the Panthers a dramatic 26-24 come-from-behind victory to force a fourth set. UNI's offense caught fire in the third set with 18 kills and only four attack errors for a .311 hitting percentage.

The Panthers then turned it on in the fourth set with a 25-14 triumph. Bri Weber collected five kills and four digs, while Thomas added three kills and three blocks. UNI held Creighton to a .000 hitting percentage in the fourth with 10 kills and 10 attack errors. UNI's offensive effort contributed 15 kills and three errors for a .387 attack percentage.

Creighton scored the first three points of the set in a precursor of what was to come at the end. However, UNI fought back again and knotted the decisive set at 7-7, 10-10 and 12-12. Creighton then closed the set as it opened it by scoring the final three points for the 15-12 win. Creighton had seven kills and five errors in the fifth, while UNI had five kills and six errors.

NOTES: UNI posted a season-high 17.0 blocks in the match - the most for the Panthers in a match since having 17 blocks against Southern Illinois on Nov. 7, 2014 ... Thomas collected a team-high 14 kills and eight blocks ... Weber posted 12 kills and 10 digs for her 17th double-double of the season and the 35th of her career ... Amie Held became the second player in UNI history (8th in Missouri Valley Conference history) to tally 2,000 career digs ... Held finished her UNI career with 2,002 digs ... Kendyl Sorge posted a team-high 26 digs ... Kayla Haneline added 11 kills and completed her Panther career with 1,165 kill, which ranks No. 15 on UNI's all-time kills list.