University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
2-2
Kentucky
4-0
No. 16 Kentucky Scores Victory Over UNI, 3-1
9/5/2014 1:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The University of Northern Iowa volleyball team went toe-to-toe against the No. 16-ranked Kentucky Wildcats in the opening round of the Commonwealth Classic at the Memorial Coliseum.
However, the Wildcats came out on top in four games, 3-1 (25-14, 24-26, 25-23, 25-16).
Kentucky (4-0 overall) came out strong in the first set and hit .577 as a team with 17 kills and only two errors. The Wildcats jumped out to a double-digit lead at 16-6. UNI clawed to within 19-12, but UK closed out the Panthers, 25-14.
UNI (2-2 overall) trailed early in the second set, 12-6, but rallied to knot the score at 17-17. The Panthers and Wildcats traded the next 14 points leaving the set tied at 24-24. UNI was able to score on a service error by UK's Ashley Dusek and an attack effort by UK's Morgan Bergren to take the second set, 26-24. UNI held UK to a .154 hitting percentage in the set.
Kentucky regained the momentum of the match by scoring a 25-25 win in the third set. The teams traded the first 20 points of the set before UK gained a 13-10 lead. UNI tied it back up at 18-18. UK inched back up by three at 21-18 before seeing UNI pull back to within 23-22. UK was able to close out the game on a kill by Anni Thomasson and an attack error from UNI's Kayla Haneline, 25-23. UNI had a .306 hitting percentage in the third set with 15 kills with four errors.
The Wildcats closed out the Panthers in set four, 25-16. The set started out even with it tied at 9-9. UK used an 8-1 run to turn a 16-14 lead into a 24-15 advantage.
UNI will be in action later this afternoon at 4 p.m. (CT) against the Creighton Bluejays in the Panthers's second match of the Commonwealth Classic.
NOTES: UNI has won the second set in all four matches it has played this season … Leigh Pudwill tallied 10 kills – the fourth straight match she has recorded double-figures in kills this season … Lindsey Schulz tallied a career-high nine kills ... Amie Held led the Panthers with 17 digs … Kentucky bested UNI in hitting percentage, .343 to .174.
