#22 Creighton Edges UNI at USC Tourney Opener

Friday, September 2

Los Angeles, Calif.

7 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

2-2

Creighton

2-1

Creighton

UNI

Photo by: Mike Dunlop

#22 Creighton Edges UNI at USC Tourney Opener

9/2/2016 8:43:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - The No. 22-ranked Creighton Bluejays scored a 3-0 sweep over the University of Northern Iowa volleyball squad on Friday in the opening match of the USC Radisson Classic.

However, the match was anything but a breeze for the Bluejays as it included 35 ties and 14 lead changes. Creighton (2-1 overall) won by set scores of 25-20, 32-30, 27-25.

The Panthers held a 20-19 lead in the opening set, only to see the Bluejays score the final six points of the set and take it, 25-20. The first set featured 12 ties.

UNI (2-2 overall) let the second set slip away by failing to convert on six set points. Creighton rallied for a 32-30 win that swung the momentum in the match and gave the Bluejays a 2-0 lead. The marathon second set included 17 ties.

The Panthers battled back in the third set after losing the first three points to fall behind, 3-0. UNI opened up an 11-6 lead following an 8-1 run. UNI held a 15-10 advantage midway through the third set before Creighton rallied to tie the set at 21-21. UNI had a set point at 24-23, but could not convert. Creighton then finished out the sweep by scoring on its second match point, 27-25.

UNI senior Kayla Haneline recorded her fourth straight 10-figure kill total this season with 10 kills. She also hit .400 for the match - the fourth consecutive match she has hit .400 or better this season.

Sophomore Bri Weber tallied her second double-double on the season with 10 kills and 10 digs. Sophomore Piper Thomas secured a team-best six blocks to go along with eight kills. Senior Amie Held registered a team-high 16 digs to give her 1,605 in her Panther career.

UNI will be back in action Saturday against tournament host USC at Noon (CT) and No. 23 Kentucky at 7 p.m. (CT).

NOTES: Junior setter Heather Hook has tallied 1,551 career assists and needs only four more assists to tie Erin Hirsch for 10th on UNI's all-time assist chart ... freshman Abbi Staack made her collegiate debut ... junior Delaney Bolton saw her first action of the 2016 season vs. the Bluejays ... UNI now holds a 41-7 lead in the all-time series vs. Creighton ... the Bluejays have defeated the Panthers four times in the last five matches between the two schools ... it marked the first time since 25-point scoring sets came into play in 2008 that UNI scored 30 or more points in a set and lost ... UNI had been 5-0 when scoring 30 or more points since 2008.