UNI volleyball drops 3-1 decision to Drake

Wednesday, November 16

Des Moines, Iowa

6 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

24-7,17-1MVC

Drake

25-6,16-2MVC

UNI

Drake

UNI volleyball drops 3-1 decision to Drake

11/16/2022 9:20:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Match 31 Stats at Drake

Panthers will return to action in 2022 MVC Volleyball Championship

DES MOINES, Iowa – A chance to complete a perfect run through the Missouri Valley Conference was turned aside in the UNI Panther volleyball team's 3-1 loss Wednesday to the Drake Bulldogs at the Knapp Center. Drake (25-6 overall, 16-2 MVC) won by set scores of 25-27, 25-18, 25-21, and 25-18.

Despite the defeat which ended a 17-match Panther win streak, UNI still finished all alone atop the league standings at 17-1 to go along with a 24-7 overall record. The Panthers registered all five service aces in Wednesday's tilt and tied the Bulldogs in digs, 58-58. Drake had a 16-to-6 block advantage and posted an offensive efficiency of .311 while holding UNI to .119 hitting.

Inga Rotto tallied a season-best 17 kills on a .333 attack percentage, and Emily Holterhaus added her own double-figure outing with 12 terminations. Carly Spies paced the Panthers in serving and blocking thanks to a career-high-tying three aces and her three total blocks. Tayler Alden dished out a team-leading 40 assists and came within one kill of a double-double. Sydney Petersen's 16 digs topped all performers Wednesday, and Baylee Petersen and Kira Fallert each totaled 12 digs.

UNI surged out of a 9-9 first-set deadlock into a 6-0 outburst featuring kills by Rotto and Fallert and an ace from Spies. The Bulldogs bounced back later to level the score at 22-22. Olivia Tjernagel's kill on a Drake set point extended the frame, and the Panthers converted on their second set-point chance as Holterhaus and Rotto's combined block closed UNI's 27-25 victory.

The Panthers and the Bulldogs opened the second stanza by tying at every opportunity possible from 1-1 through 4-4. Drake scored the next five points and built a 9-4 edge. UNI was unsuccessful on all four potential set-tying rallies, and the Bulldogs won, 25-18, for a 1-1 tie going into the intermission.

In the third, blocks pushed UNI to its first leads at 12-11 courtesy of Spies and Tjernagel and at 15-14 via Fallert's solo stuff. The Panthers had a 16-14 advantage that was changed to a 15-15 tie due to a Bulldog challenge. That started a 4-0 spurt and put Drake ahead for good in a 25-21 triumph which secured a 2-1 edge.

The Bulldogs jumped in front early during the fourth, and the Panthers pulled even four times including a 12-12 score. However, UNI never gained a lead, and Drake went on a 9-2 tiebreaking run that ended with five consecutive points. The Bulldogs picked up the 25-18 victory and ended the contest.

This weekend, the 2022 Missouri Valley Conference Volleyball Championship gets underway at Meeks Family Fieldhouse in Evansville, Ind. As the league's top seed, the Panthers make their tournament debut at 3 p.m. Tuesday in the semifinals against an opponent that will be determined through the two preceding rounds. Pending the result of the UNI men's basketball team's opener at the NABC Hall of Fame Classic, UNI volleyball radio coverage will be on News/Talk 1540 KXEL. Fans can also catch the video broadcast via ESPN+.