University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
*Illinois State
Panthers Post Fifth Straight Win
11/5/2005 7:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 5, 2005
Cedar Falls, Iowa - Freshman Ashten Stelken (Manchester, Iowa) tied her career high with 14 kills, to help lead the University of Northern Iowa volleyball team to a 3-0 win over Illinois State tonight at the West Gym. Game scores were 30-22, 30-24 and 30-21.
The win, UNI's fifth straight and seventh in their last eight matches, improved the Panthers' record to 17-8 overall and 11-3 in Missouri Valley Conference action. Illinois State fell to 16-9 overall, 12-3 in MVC play.
Stelken hit .306 (14-3-36) on the night, and recorded double-digit kills for the sixth straight match. Normally a right side hitter, she has played very effectively on the left side the past four matches in place of the injured Laura Rowen (Hansell, Iowa). Stelken was joined in double figure kills by fellow freshman Amy Sampson (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) with 12, and senior middle blocker Stephanie Germann (LeMars, Iowa) who had 11.
The Panthers held a 20-17 lead in game one and then went on a 5-1 run to extend to a 25-18 advantage. After Illinois State pulled to within 26-22, UNI finished the game with a flourish, on a kill by Stelken, a pair of Melissa Schmitz (Elk Run Heights, Iowa) service aces and a block, to win 30-22.
The second game was all even at 22-all, but another late surge gave UNI a 2-0 lead. The Panthers scored eight of the last 10 points to win 30-24, with the final point once again coming on a UNI block.
Illinois State rallied from a 17-11 deficit in the third game to pull within two, 19-17, before UNI head coach Bobbi Petersen called timeout. The Panthers responded, going on a 9-2 run to open a 28-19 advantage, and would eventually claim a 30-21 win and the match victory. UNI hit a sizzling 364 (17-5-33) as a team in the third game.
UNI's next match is set for Friday, Nov. 11, when the Panthers travel to face league-leader Wichita State at 7:00 p.m.
