University of Northern Iowa
Arkansas
Panthers Sweep Arkansas
9/8/2007 8:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 8, 2007
Manhattan, Kan. - Ashten Stelken (Manchester, Iowa) had 14 kills and seven blocks to lead the University of Northern Iowa volleyball team to a 3-0 win over Arkansas this morning at the Varney's Invitational, hosted by Kansas State University. Game scores were 30-24, 30-22 and 36-34.
Shannon Aschoff (Ankeny, Iowa) and Amy Sampson (Brooklyn Park, Minn.) contributed 12 kills apiece, while Danielle Brazda (Omaha, Neb.) added 10. Setter Kristin Belzung (Ankeny, Iowa) had 48 assists, and three Panthers reached double-digits in digs - Laura Rowen (Hansell, Iowa) with 18, Ellie Blankenship (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) with 13 and Melissa Schmitz (Elk Run Heights, Iowa) with 11.
Arkansas was led by Jessica Dorrell, who had a match-high 15 kills, but no other Lady Razorback was in double figures. UNI hit .250 as a team (59-21-152), while Arkansas managed just .152 hitting (46-25-138).
UNI jumped out to an 11-6 lead in the first game, forcing an Arkansas timeout. The Panthers maintained that cushion, leading 22-17, before the Lady Razorbacks scored three straight points. After a UNI timeout, Brazda and Sampson each had a kill and UA made an attack error, as the Panthers extended their lead back to 25-20, eventually winning, 30-24. The Panthers hit .333 (20-5-45) in the first game to .184 (14-7-38) for Arkansas.
Arkansas led 14-10 in the second game, before UNI went on a 6-1 run to take the lead for good, 16-15. Arkansas remained close, trailing 23-21, before UNI strung together six straight points - five on Lady Razorback errors - to take control and win, 30-22. Arkansas hit .000 (10-10-45) in the second game.
With the score tied at 17-all in the third game, Arkansas scored the next five points to open a 22-17 lead. A UNI timeout helped stem the tide, as UNI scored six of the next seven points to pull even at 23-all. Arkansas went up 27-25, but the Panthers battled back with four straight points, including getting a service ace from Brittany Bakker (Dike, Iowa), to have two match point opportunities at 29-27. The Lady Razorbacks fought both points off to pull even, and then had three game points of their own, but UNI was able to respond with a kill each time. UNI then had three more match point chances, finally winning 36-34 on an Arkansas attack error.
The victory snapped UNI's four-match losing streak and improved its record to 4-5, while Arkansas fell to 6-4. The Panthers face Fresno State tonight at 6 pm in the conclusion of the Varney's Invitational.
