University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
5-5,0-0MVC
North Dakota
3-7,0-0Summit League
UNI volleyball sweeps North Dakota in home opener
9/14/2023 9:14:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Panthers win their 13th consecutive home match to open the UNI Tournament. Face off with No. 25 Dayton on Friday night.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- UNI volleyball opened its 2023 home schedule in style on Thursday night as the Panthers dominated the third set and cruised to a three-set sweep over the North Dakota Fighting Hawks at the McLeod Center to open the UNI Tournament.
The Panthers have now won 13 straight home matches dating back to last season when UNI posted a 12-0 record on its home floor.
ÂHOW IT HAPPENED
For the majority of the opening stanza, the Panthers and Hawks swapped points with neither team able to build more than a two-point lead until the final stretch. UNI found its rhythm offensively late in a first set that featured 18 terminations on a .382 hitting percentage. While North Dakota commanded the blocking game at the net, the Panther found plenty of scoring opportunities on the back line, closing the first set out on back-to-back service aces by Kira Fallert in a 25-22 win.
The Panthers' offensive prowess continued into the second frame with 11 kills and just three attacking errors on a .348 hitting percentage. UNI also capitalized on eight attack errors by the Fighting Hawks, holding North Dakota to .133 hitting. After splitting the first eight points, the Panthers pulled away by as many as eight points, rolling to a 25-17 victory in the frame.
A week after giving up a pair of large runs to its opponent in Texas, UNI flipped the script and rolled on a resounding 12-0 run to open an early 13-1 lead on the Fighting Hawks in the third set. With 15 team terminations and five blocks, the Panthers would have to fend off a late push by the opposition as North Dakota pulled within five points and fended off a pair of match points. Fallert would put the final touches on UNI's first home win of the year with a kill off an assist by Tayler Alden to secure the 25-19 win and the three-set sweep.
Fallert finished the night with a match-high 11 terminations and seven digs, while Kaylissa Arndorfer recorded a season-best eight kills on 12 attacks. Olivia Tjernagel and Alden each posted seven kills with Alden leading UNI with 29 assists and a season-high four block assists. Tjernagel meanwhile tied her season-best with six blocks. Emily Holterhaus posted a six-kill match, as Grace Mikota led the night at the service line, tying her career-best with three aces. Erin Powers anchored the UNI backline with a match-high 15 digs.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
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The Panthers improves to 6-1 all-time against North Dakota with the victory. Thursday's matchup was the first between the two programs since Oct. 28, 1983, which UNI won in three sets.
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Dating back to their undefeated home record in 2022, the Panthers' 13-match home winning streak is their longest in 12 years, matching a 13-match streak of home victories in 2011.
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UNI improves to 18-6 (.750) in home openers under head coach Bobbi Petersen. The Panthers also improved their all-time record in the McLeod Center to 157-46 (.772).
UP NEXT
The Panthers return home on Friday night to face off against No. 25 Dayton in their second match of the UNI Tournament. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT in the McLeod Center, with live coverage available on ESPN+ and on the Panther Sports Radio Network.
