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University of Northern Iowa
Wichita State
Panthers Win at Wichita State
9/15/2007 8:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 15, 2007
Wichita, Kan. - Senior middle blocker Danielle Brazda (Omaha, Neb.) had a season-high 16 kills and added seven blocks to lead the University of Northern Iowa volleyball team to a 3-1 win over Wichita State tonight in front of a crowd of 2,294 at Charles A. Koch Arena. Game scores were 30-23, 30-28, 14-30 and 31-29.
Brazda was joined in double figure kills by senior outside hitter Laura Rowen (Hansell, Iowa) with 15 and Ashten Stelken (Manchester, Iowa) with 11. Rowen posted her second straight double-double by adding 13 digs, and a total of five Panthers reached double-digits in digs. Senior setter Kristin Belzung (Ankeny, Iowa) had a great all-around match, with 51 assists, 11 digs, nine kills and seven blocks.
Trailing 7-5 in the first game, UNI scored five straight points to take the lead for good 10-5, with Belzung spurring the Panthers on with a pair of service aces during that run. Trailing 23-17, Wichita State scored three straight points and forced UNI to take a timeout, but that was as close as the Shockers would get. With a 26-23 lead, UNI scored the last four points of the game, including the clincher on another service ace from Belzung, to win 30-23. The Panthers hit .371 (18-5-35) in the first game.
Wichita State held a 14-10 lead in game two, but UNI went on a 7-2 run to take the lead, 17-16. The Shockers would tie the game on several occasions the rest of the way, but were unable to ever regain the lead. After Wichita State pulled even as late as 28-all, Rowen and Amy Sampson (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) posted back-to-back kills to give UNI the 30-28 win. The Panthers' offense stayed hot in the second game, as UNI hit an even-better .395 (21-4-43) in game two.
The Shockers got on the board with a decisive 30-14 win in the third game, as they hit .353 (14-2-34) while the Panthers hit -.047 (8-10-43). Leading 16-12, Wichita State went on a 7-0 run and scored 14 of the last 16 points of the game to earn the win and pull within two games to one.
UNI jumped to leads of 6-2 and 13-9 lead in game four, forcing Wichita State to take both of its timeouts early. The Shockers rallied to take a 17-15 lead, but UNI scored four straight to go back in front, 19-17. The Panthers maintained their lead until the Shockers scored three straight points late to pull ahead 27-26. The teams traded points until WSU held game point at 29-28, but a Sara Lungren service error pulled UNI even at 29-all. Stelken racked up a kill to put UNI in front 30-29, and the Panthers clinched the match as Stelken and Belzung blocked a WSU attack.
The victory by UNI snapped a string of seven straight Wichita State wins between the two schools dating back to 2004. The win improves UNI's record to 6-6 on the season, 1-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference, while Wichita State falls to 7-4, 1-1 in the Valley. The Panthers return home to host Creighton on Friday, Sept. 21. First serve from the McLeod Center is 7 pm.
