UNI Turns Away Illinois State, 3-1

Saturday, September 30

Cedar Falls, Iowa

7 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

14-4 4-0MVC

Illinois State (Gold Game/Childhood Cancer Night)

9-9 2-3MVC

Illinois State

UNI

UNI Turns Away Illinois State, 3-1

9/30/2017 9:45:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score UNI-ILS-vb-boxscore-2017-1

BOX SCORE (PDF)

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - The No. 22-ranked University of Northern Iowa volleyball team bounced back from an opening game setback and responded by taking the final three sets against the visiting Illinois State Redbirds, 3-1. UNI won by set scores of 20-25, 26-24, 25-13, 25-21.

UNI (14-4 overall, 4-0 MVC) ran its win streak to four in a row behind 21 kills from Bri Weber and 18 kills from Piper Thomas. Karlie Taylor added her team-leading 10th double-double with 13 kills and a match-high 22 digs. Illinois State (9-9 overall, 2-3 MVC) dropped its second match of the weekend in the state of Iowa after falling in five sets to Drake on Friday night.

The Redbirds put the Panthers in a hole early by taking a 12-6 lead in the first set. Illinois State eventually led by as many as eight points on two occasions (20-12, 21-13). UNI closed to within four points at 23-19, but the Redbirds finished off the set with a 25-20 win. The Redbirds hit .256 in the set, while holding the Panthers to .167.

Illinois State was looking to put a strangle-hold on the match as it built a 13-9 advantage. However, Weber then asserted herself offensively into the match to turn it around for the home squad. Weber went for back-to-back kills as the Panthers ran off four straight to knot the set at 13-13. The Redbirds led 23-21 and were two points away from a 2-0 lead. The Panthers refused to give in and Moriah Johnson tallied a kill and then Abbi Staack turned the fate of the match around with a dig that resulted in a kill and squared the set at 23-23. The Panthers used the momentum to post a 26-24 set victory and even the match at 1-1. Weber posted seven kills on 14 swings in the second set.

The Panthers rolled in the third set behind a .425 attack percentage. UNI tallied 20 kills and only three errors, while boasting of a 71-percent sideout effort. Weber added six more kills in the third set as the Panthers gained a 25-13 victory.

UNI built a 19-14 lead in the fourth set and appeared set to win the match handily. Illinois State rallied and cut the lead to 21-20 before Weber turned the tables once again. Weber went for back-to-back kills again and it gave the Panthers a 23-20 cushion. Thomas finished off the Redbirds with two kills of her own and the Panthers claimed a 25-21 triumph.

The Panthers will hit the road for matches at Indiana State (Fri., 6 p.m.) and Evansville (Sat., 7 p.m.).

NOTES: Piper Thomas moved into a tie for No. 8 on UNI's all-time solo block list with a pair against the Redbirds ... Thomas has posted 65 career solo blocks and she is tied with Tricia Mills (1990-1993) ... in four league matches, Thomas is hitting .411 with 64 kills and only 11 attack errors (129 total attacks) ... Thomas is averaging 4.57 kills per set in MVC play.