University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
13-6,7-0MVC
Missouri State
9-11,3-5MVC
Panther volleyball rattles off eighth straight win in sweep of Bears
10/13/2023 8:10:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
UNI stays perfect in MVC play in home win over Missouri State. Panthers host Southern Illinois in Pink Out on Saturday.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- UNI volleyball notched a hitting percentage over .300 for a third consecutive match on Friday night as the Panthers rolled to a three-set sweep over the Missouri State Bears in Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) play inside the McLeod Center
The Panthers extend their win streak to eight matches and remain undefeated in league play at 7-0. Friday's win also marked UNI's fourth straight win over the Bears.
HOW IT HAPPENED
In a battle of a pair of the MVC's elite defenses, UNI opened the night with an impressive all-around effort, hitting .359 with 17 team kills. Keeping the Missouri State defense on its toes early, Tayler Alden posted a strong first set with 12 assists, as well as four terminations as the Bears five attacks into the net, including a pair of block attempts. Containing their opponents to a sub-.150 hitting percentage, the Panthers closed the first set on a 10-4 run en route to a 25-18 first set victory.
UNI scored the first four points of the second stanza and didn't let up as the Panther offense dominated up front. With Emily Holterhaus and Olivia Tjernagel teaming up for an early block and Kira Fallert dishing out back-to-back service aces, UNI hit .400 in the second frame while also out blocking the Bears 4-0. Missouri State struggled to find consistency in its offensive rhythm, recording only six terminations with a .000 hitting percentage as UNI rolled to a 25-11 win.
The Bears began the third set claiming the first two points, but the Panthers immediately responded with a 6-0 run and didn't look back. At the Layanna Green, along with Holterhaus and Fallert on the outside continued to pace the UNI offense with 12 team attacks on a .321 hitting percentage. With Megan Witte, Sydney Golden and Alivia Bronner all earning late match action, the Panthers cruised down the stretch to a 25-18 win to complete the three-set sweep.
Holterhaus finished the night with 14 terminations on 36 attacks with a .361 hitting percentage, along with an ace and two blocks. Green notched 11 kills and a pair of aces, while Fallert narrowly missed a double-double with nine kills and 14 digs, complimented by a season-best three aces. Alden notched 31 assists in the UNI win, with Erin Powers recording a team-high 16 digs. Tjernagel concluded the evening with four block assists.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
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UNI improves to 58-28 all-time against Missouri State after Friday's win, including 33-4 against the Bears at home.
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The Panthers' eight match winning streak is the longest active streak in the MVC.Â
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UNI is 13-6 improves to 13-6 in the first set after Friday's victory. The Panthers are also unbeaten in MVC play when clinching the first set.
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Emily Holterhaus passed Kim Kester (1999-02) for sixth on UNI all-time kills list with 1,443. Piper Thomas (2015-18) ranks ahead of Holterhaus in fifth with 1,572 terminations.
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Tayler Alden surpassed 3,500 career assists on Friday, becoming the eighth Panther setter to reach that milestone.
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Libero Erin Powers notched her 1,400th career dig on Friday night. Powers, who recorded 1,090 digs at UAB from 2020-22, has tallied 319 digs in her first season at UNI.
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Kaylissa Arndorfer sits just three sets shy of reached 400 career sets played
UP NEXT
The Panthers return home on Saturday afternoon as they host the Southern Illinois Salukis at 5 p.m. CT at the McLeod Center. Fans are encouraged to wear pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Live coverage of the match will also be available on ESPN+ and the Panther Sports Radio Network.
