UNI Advances to Semis With 3-1 Win Over Redbirds

Thursday, November 26

Springfield, Mo.

5 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

19-13

Illinois State

22-10

Illinois State

UNI

UNI Advances to Semis With 3-1 Win Over Redbirds

11/26/2015 7:09:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The University of Northern Iowa volleyball team advanced to the semifinals of the 2015 Missouri Valley Conference with a 3-1 over the Illinois State Redbirds on Thursday.

UNI (19-13 overall) bounced back from a first-set loss to score the four-set victory by scores of 25-27, 25-23, 25-16, 25-19. Illinois State closed out its season with a record of 22-10 overall.

Freshman Piper Thomas recorded 14 kills and hit .419 for the match. Junior Amie Held tied for team-high kills honors with 14. Held also added 20 digs, three service aces and two blocks. Freshman Bri Weber recorded her team-leading 17^th double-double with 15 digs and 12 kills. Junior Lindsey Schulz tallied 11 kills and hit .440 for the Panthers. Freshman Kendyl Sorge recorded her second 30-plus dig effort of the year with 31 digs against the Redbirds.

Illinois State rallied from a late four-point deficit and scored a 27-25 victory in the opening set. UNI started strong with a 5-2 lead on the strength of the serving of Amie Held. The match was tied 16-16, when UNI used a 4-0 run to take a 20-16 lead. But the Redbirds responded with an 8-3 run to take a 24-23 lead. UNI scored back-to-back points to earn a set point, only to see the Redbirds turn them away and score the final two points to take it, 27-25. Held registered three service aces in the opening stanza.

For the second straight set, UNI came out blazing and recorded a 5-2 lead. UNI's 7-4 lead was vanquished by a 4-0 run from Illinois State forcing head coach Bobbi Petersen into her first timeout of the set. Illinois State used a 7-1 run to take a 20-15 lead late in the second set. However, UNI caught fire and used a 10-3 run to score a 25-23 win and even the match at a set apiece.

UNI took a 2-1 set lead with a 25-16 win in the third set. UNI opened up a 9-2 lead before the Redbirds took a timeout. UNI extended the lead to 14-5. Illinois State cut the margin to five at 19-14, but the Panthers used a timeout to stem the tide. UNI finished off the set on a 6-2 run.

UNI posted a 25-19 victory in the fourth set. The Panthers trailed 15-14 but used a 4-0 run to take an 18-15 lead in the fourth. UNI would finish the set on an 11-4 run to earn the victory and advance to the semifinals.

UNI will take on No. 1-seeded Wichita State in the semifinals on Friday at 5 p.m. in the Hammons Student Center.

NOTES: 17^th double-figure kill total for Piper Thomas … 13^th double-double for Amie Held … 5^th 20-plus dig effort from Kendyl Sorge … 4^th double-figure kill total for Lindsey Schulz (back-to-back matches for the first time all season) … 31^st straight semifinal appearance for the Panthers … UNI is 42-18 all-time in the MVC Tournament … UNI is 11-3 vs. Illinois State in the MVC Tournament … Illinois State won the opening set in all three matches this year, but UNI was able to win two of the three matches.