UNI Nabs 5-Set Marathon Thriller Against Cyclones

Tuesday, September 13

Cedar Falls, Iowa

7 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

6-4

Iowa State

6-3

Iowa State

UNI

UNI Nabs 5-Set Marathon Thriller Against Cyclones

9/13/2016 10:37:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - The University of Northern Iowa volleyball team snared a five-set marathon thriller over intra-state rival Iowa State on Tuesday in the McLeod Center. The Panthers outlasted the Cyclones in a near three-hour match, 27-29, 40-38, 25-23, 17-25, 15-10. UNI improves to 6-4 overall, while Iowa State falls to 6-3 overall.

UNI senior Amie Held recorded the 24th 20-20 match in Panther history with 23 kills and 22 digs. Sophomore libero Kendyl Sorge notched the fourth-highest single-game dig total in school history with 35 digs against the Cyclones. UNI tallied 120 total digs, which ranks as the second-highest single-match total in program history trailing only the 125 digs the Panthers posted against Washington State on Sept. 11, 1987.

In fact, the Cyclones actually won more points in the match (125) than the Panthers (124). The Cyclones recorded the second-highest point total in NCAA history (25-point scoring sets) with 125 points - trailing Wichita State's total of 127 set Sept. 12, 2014 against Bowling Green.

Iowa State jumped to a 5-0 lead in the opening set, but the Panthers turned it around quickly and took a 10-9 lead. The first set featured 12 ties and four lead changes and set the tone for the entire match. Iowa State needed four set points before finally securing a 29-27 first-set win.

Then came an epic second set that featured the highest scoring game for the Panthers in the 25-point set era. However it probably should not have come to that after UNI opened the set with a 7-0 lead and a 21-15 advantage. UNI eventually pulled out a 40-38 second-set win that saw a total of 16 set points combined. Iowa State failed on all six of its set points and UNI prevailed on its 10th set point. The second set had 15 ties and eight lead changes.

The Panthers used conventional scoring to earn a 25-23 third-set win to take a 2-1 lead in the match. UNI trailed 19-15 but used a 5-0 run to take a 20-19 lead. After Iowa State knotted it at 23-23, UNI got back-to-back kills from Held to finish off the set, 25-23.

Iowa State recorded a 25-17 win in the fourth set as the Cyclones had 12 kills and one error with a .262 hitting percentage. UNI was limited to 11 kills and 10 errors (.020 hitting percentage) in the fourth set.

UNI scored the first three points of the fifth set and never trailed. Iowa State tied at 3-3 but the Panthers then ran off three in a row to push the lead to 6-3. Iowa State closed to within 10-9, but UNI closed the deal by scoring six of the final seven points for the 15-10 triumph.

UNI will be back in action Friday at 5 p.m. in the McLeod Center against Illinois State in the Missouri Valley Conference opener for both squads.