Panthers knock off unbeaten Beacons in five-setter

Friday, September 23

Valparaiso, Ind.

6 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

8-6,1-0MVC

Valparaiso

12-1,0-1MVC

UNI

Valparaiso

Panthers knock off unbeaten Beacons in five-setter

9/23/2022 9:29:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score Match 14 Stats at Valpo Photo Gallery

UNI wins first Missouri Valley Conference match, 3-2

VALPARAISO, Ind. – Despite facing several late deficits and an opposing match point in the fourth set against the undefeated Valparaiso Beacons, the UNI Panther volleyball team rallied for a 3-2 win (14-25, 25-22, 18-25, 27-25, 15-9) Friday in the Athletics-Recreation Center to begin Missouri Valley Conference play.

UNI (8-6 overall, 1-0 MVC) ended the longest winning streak to begin a season in Valparaiso (12-1, 0-1) program history. Friday's tilt was also the third time in fewer than 11 months that the Panthers fought off a match point en route to a five-set road victory. UNI posted similar come-from-behind wins Oct. 29, 2021 at Drake and Nov. 13, 2021 at Evansville.

The Panthers hit .212 compared to a .195 Beacons clip and also posted an 81-to-76 dig edge. Kira Fallert led all hitters with a season-high 18 kills. Emily Holterhaus added 13 terminations, and Inga Rotto and Carly Spies tallied 11 kills each. Tayler Alden recorded a double-double featuring 51 assists along with 14 digs. Sydney Petersen's 20 digs and six blocks by Spies paced the Panther defense.

Olivia Tjernagel opened the scoring on the contest's first swing to put the Panthers in front, 1-0, within the opening stanza. Unfortunately, Valpo scored the next eight points as part of a 12-2 outburst. The Beacons held the lead for the remainder of the set and won by a score of 25-14.

The second set included 10 ties including eight in a row from 1-1 through 8-8. Rotto stretched a UNI advantage to 18-14 before the Beacons came back for ties of 21-21 and 22-22. Holterhaus and Spies combined for a go-ahead rejection before a Fallert kill and a double block from Fallert and Spies capped a 25-22 Panther triumph.

Valpo led wire to wire in the third frame beginning with a 6-0 spurt. The Panthers were trailing, 23-13, when Holterhaus notched back-to-back kills during a 5-0 run to pull within 23-18, but the Beacons ultimately prevailed by a 25-18 margin for a 2-1 match lead.

The Panthers held a 7-4 edge to begin the fourth stanza. However, the Beacons sided out on the next seven UNI serves in a 16-6 stretch. UNI was down 20-13, 21-16, 22-18, and 23-19 at different points in their comeback which gained momentum via timely offense and Payton Ahrenstorff's serving. The Panthers surged ahead, 24-23, but Valpo bounced back to get a match-point chance at 25-24. Fallert extended the set on a kill, and back-to-back terminations by Rotto ended the 27-25 UNI win.

After its incredible fourth-set comeback, UNI did not look back in the deciding frame. Other than a brief 3-3 tie, the Panthers led throughout the fifth. Fallert and Holterhaus carried the offense by winning nine of the 15 points on the attack featuring a Holterhaus kill on a lengthy match-point rally to cap the 15-9 victory.

Up next, the Panthers will travel to Chicago for a 5 p.m. Saturday matchup with league newcomer UIC. The Flames (8-5, 0-1) lost their MVC debut Friday against Drake, 3-1. Exclusive broadcast coverage of Saturday's tilt will be available on UNIpanthers.com.