UNI Spikes Wichita State, 3-1

Saturday, October 1

Cedar Falls, Iowa

7 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

11-7 (2-3MVC)

Wichita State (wear PURPLE - free entry with football ticket)

10-5 (3-1MVC)

Wichita State

UNI

UNI Spikes Wichita State, 3-1

10/1/2016 9:55:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - The University of Northern Iowa volleyball team rebounded Saturday night with a 3-1 victory over the conference-leading Wichita State Shockers in the McLeod Center.

UNI (11-7 overall, 2-3 MVC) was staring down a 1-4 start in league play if it failed to score a victory on its home floor against the Shockers. But the Panthers answered the call behind a 20-kill effort from Bri Weber and a 29-dig performance from Kendyl Sorge. UNI won by set scores of 20-25, 25-18, 25-23, 25-22.

Wichita State came into the match leading the Missouri Valley conference standings with a perfect 3-0 mark. They left with a blemish - a four-set setback to the Panthers.

The Shockers began the night with a 25-20 win in the first set. UNI held a 14-10 lead midway through the opening stanza. However, the Shockers used a 5-1 run to knot it at 15-15. The set was tied 20-20 before the Shockers closed the set on a 5-0 run. WSU hit .333 in the set with 14 kills and only two attack errors. Weber kept the Panthers in the set with six kills, while Sorge and Ashlee Sinnott each tallied seven digs.

UNI leveled the match at a set apiece with a 25-18 triumph. Weber continued her assault in the second set with eight kills with a .583 hitting percentage. Kayla Haneline added five kills in the set and hit .500 on 10 attacks. UNI led by as many as eight points in the set at 12-4. The Shockers got to within four points at 15-11, but would get no closer.

UNI took a 2-1 lead in the pivotal third set as the Panthers clocked in 18 kills and a .326 hitting percentage. UNI's Amie Held led the third-set attack with five kills and five digs. UNI held a 17-11 advantage only to see Wichita State rally back to a single-point deficit at 23-22. WSU's Tabitha Brown then hit a service error to give UNI a set point at 24-22. Weber gave the Shockers a point right back with a service error of her own. UNI's Lindsey Schulz put the set away for the Panthers with a kill giving the home squad a 25-23 victory.

The Panthers looked to close it out in the fourth set and did so with a defensive gem from Sorge. Sorge secured 12 digs as the Panthers notched 31 total digs in the set. With the set tied at 21-21, the Panthers got kills from Weber, Schulz and Kill to take a 24-22 lead. WSU's Brown had an attack error on the right side to end it and give UNI a 25-22 win.

UNI will continue its homestand Monday at 7 p.m. against the Indiana State Sycamores.

NOTES: Weber notched her third 20-plus kill effort this season, and second in as many nights as she posted 20 kills and hit .240 ... Held posted her ninth double-double of the year with 15 kills and 16 digs ... Haneline powered down 12 kills (.407 hitting percentage) ... Piper Thomas secured her fifth double-digit kill performance of the season with 11 kills (.409 hitting percentage) ... Ashlee Sinnott set a career-high with 21 digs vs. the Shockers ... Heather Hook recorded a match-high 54 assists.