UNI Breezes Past Drake, 3-0

Saturday, October 17

Cedar Falls, Iowa

7 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

11-10 (5-3MVC)

Drake

13-13 (4-5MVC)

Drake

UNI

UNI Breezes Past Drake, 3-0

10/17/2015 8:52:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

The Panthers defeated the Bulldogs for the 37th consecutive time.

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - The University of Northern Iowa volleyball squad posted a 3-0 sweep of the Drake Bulldogs on Saturday night at the McLeod Center. UNI won by set scores of 25-13, 25-20, 25-18.

It was the 37th consecutive victory for UNI against Drake and it marked the 31st straight home victory over the Bulldogs. UNI has won 19 straight sets against Drake. A streak that includes six consecutive 3-0 victories over the Bulldogs.

UNI moved to 11-10 overall and 5-3 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Drake dropped to 13-13 overall and 4-5 in the league.

The match was played in front a season-high 3,102 fans in the McLeod Center. UNI came into the match ranked No. 14 in the country in average home attendance at 2,257 per match. UNI is now averaging 2,363 per home match this season.

The Panthers pounced quickly in the first set for a 25-13 victory. Freshman Piper Thomas recorded five first-set kills and hit .571 in the victory. Junior Kayla Haneline also notched five kills in the set.

UNI junior Amie Held powered the Panthers to a second set win behind six kills. The Panthers turned a 6-6 tie into a 16-9 lead midway through the second stanza. UNI would score a 25-20 win to take a 2-0 lead into the intermission.

UNI would close out the match in the third with a 25-18 win. Held tallied seven kills and hit .636 in the third set. The third set was tied 14-14 before UNI used an 8-1 run to secure the momentum.

Held secured her fifth straight double-double with 15 kills and 11 digs. Haneline added 12 kills and Thomas provided 11 kills and four blocks. Heather Hook notched 39 assists and eight digs. Kendyl Sorge (14 digs) and Ashlee Sinnott (13 digs) helped lead the back row effort for the Panthers. UNI came into the match ranked No. 2 in the nation in digs/set. UNI was credited with 65 digs (21.67/set) in the match.

Held moved past Kate Galer (1,368 digs from 1993-1996) to No. 6 on UNI's all-time digs list. Held has recorded 1,377 career digs. Bobbi Becker holds the No. 5 slot with 1,457 digs from 1986-1989.

The Panthers will have a busy week of action coming up with three road matches at Loyola (Tues., 5 p.m.), at Evansville (Fri., 6 p.m.) and at Southern Illinois (Sat., 4 p.m.).