No Debate, UNI Wins Thriller at Drake, 3-2

Saturday, November 14

Des Moines, Iowa

7 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

16-13 (10-6MVC)

Drake

14-19 (5-11MVC)

UNI

Drake

Photo by: Mike Dunlop

No Debate, UNI Wins Thriller at Drake, 3-2

11/14/2015 9:26:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

DES MOINES, Iowa – No debate it was a five-set thriller on Saturday night in Des Moines as the University of Northern Iowa women's volleyball team scored a 3-2 win over the Drake Bulldogs. UNI won by set scores of 21-25, 25-16, 25-10, 20-25, 15-9.

UNI has won 38 consecutive matches vs. Drake but had to go the distance at the Knapp Center on Saturday to extend the streak.

UNI junior Kayla Haneline set a career-high with nine blocks and added a career-tying 21 kills. UNI freshman Kendyl Sorge posted a career-high four service aces. Sorge was also one of three Panthers to record 20 or more digs as she had 20 digs. Freshman Bri Weber secured her 16th double-double of the season with 16 kills and 23 digs. Amie Held added her 10th double-double with 11 kills and 21 digs.
UNI improved to 16-13 overall and 10-6 in Missouri Valley Conference play, while Drake fell to a 14-19 overall and 5-11 in the MVC.

Drake opened the match with a 6-0 run in the opening set. UNI fought back and took a 20-18 lead, only to see the Bulldogs close out the first set on a 7-1 run. Drake scored a first-set win over UNI for the first time since Oct. 12, 2012 with a 25-21 victory. UNI committed 11 attack errors in the first set.

The Bulldogs started out the second set with a 5-1 advantage. UNI would bounce back and tie it at 8-8. UNI would got on a 13-5 run to take a commanding 21-13 lead late in the second set. The Panthers would close it out and even the match with a 25-16 triumph. UNI hit .377 in the second set.

UNI rolled to a 25-10 victory in the third set to take a 2-1 set lead. UNI tallied a .394 hitting percentage in the third set. UNI posted a perfect 100-percent sideout number in the third set on 11 serves from Drake.

Drake forced a fifth and deciding set by notching a 25-20 win in the fourth set. The Bulldogs hit .231 in the fourth set, while UNI hit .000 with 10 kills and 10 errors.

UNI trailed 3-1 early in the fifth set, but scored four straight to a take a 5-3 lead. Drake battled back to knot the set at 6-6. But UNI responded with three straight to move the lead to 9-6. Drake pulled to within 9-7 only to see UNI score three consecutive points and put the match out of reach. UNI would finish off Drake, 15-9.

UNI freshman Bri Weber set the school's freshman record for attacks in a year in the match. Weber has tallied 1,119 attacks this season. Alex Auker held the previous freshman mark for attacks with 1,081 in 1997.

UNI junior Amie Held passed her head coach Bobbi (Becker) Petersen on the school's all-time digs list vs. Drake. Held has posted 1,477 digs following tonight's match. Petersen recorded 1,457 digs as a player from 1986-1989.

UNI will be back in action next week with home matches on Friday vs. Bradley and Saturday vs. Loyola. Both matches will begin at 7 p.m. in the McLeod Center.