.png&width=20&height=20&type=webp)
University of Northern Iowa
6-6,0-0MVC
Northern Illinois
2-10,0-0MAC
UNI volleyball closes non-conference schedule with sweep of Northern Illinois
9/16/2023 5:34:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Powers, Fallert named to All-Tournament squad. Panthers open MVC play next weekend at Bradley and Illinois State.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- Three Panthers tallied double-digit terminations on Saturday afternoon as UNI volleyball rolled to a commanding three-set sweep of the Northern Illinois Huskies in its final non-conference matchup of the season inside the McLeod Center.
The Panthers finish their home tournament with a 2-1 record and a second place finish, with libero Erin Powers and outside hitter Kira Fallert earning All-Tournament honors. Dayton clinched the team title with a 3-0 record.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UNI burst out of the gate offensively to open the afternoon, scoring the first six points of the match on a 9-2 opening run. Executing efficiently on both offense and defense, the Panthers dominated the first stanza with a .424 hitting percentage with 16 team terminations and three service aces, led by six kills from Layanna Green, who matched Northern Illinois' first set kills total. Able to cut through the Huskies' defense with ease, the Panthers rolled to a 25-11 win in the opening frame.
The Panthers carried their offensive momentum into the second frame with a 20-kill set on a .237 hitting percentage, the second set this season in which UNI has recorded 20+ terminations in a single set. UNI's ball movement, with attacks set up by both Tayler Alden and Sydney Golden helped the Panthers again build a healthy lead despite a resurgent Huskies team, and eventually pick up a 25-17 set win.
UNI opened a 12-5 lead on Northern Illinois in the third, scoring on kills by Fallert and a pair of service aces by Grace Mikota. The Huskies would storm back and threaten the Panthers' bid at a sweep on a 7-0 run to take a 17-16 lead, but UNI would respond in kind with a 6-1 run of its own to ice its opponent down the stretch, holding on for a 25-19 victory to secure the three-set sweep.
Fallert finished the afternoon with a match-high 15 terminations on 34 attempts with ten digs for her fifth double-double of the season and 15th of her career, while Green recorded a career-best 12 kills in the win. Emily Holterhaus tallied 11 kills as Olivia Tjernagel posted seven terminations. Alden led the day with 38 assists, with Golden recording eight assists. Defensively Powers notched a team-high 14 digs.
Â
ADDITIONAL NOTES
-
The Panthers improve to 15-4 all-time against Northern Illinois, earning their third straight win over the Huskies.
-
UNI committed a season-low 12 attack errors in the win over NIU. The Panthers also posted a hitting percentage of .299 in the victory.
-
Defensive specialist Grace Mikota, who ranks second on the UNI roster with 11 service aces this season, made the first start of her career on Saturday.
Â
UNI ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
- Alayna Yates, Dayton (MVP)
- Lexie Almodovar, Dayton
- Karissa Kaminski, Dayton
- Erin Powers, UNI
- Kira Fallert, UNI
- Ella Mihacevich, Northern Illinois
- Kaycee O'Dell, North Dakota
UP NEXT
UNI finished the 2023 non-conference schedule with a 6-6 record. The Panthers return to action next weekend to open Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) play with a road trip to Bradley and Illinois State. UNI will take on the Braves at 6 p.m. CT on Friday night at Renaissance Coliseum, before battling the Redbirds in Normal at 7 p.m. CT on Saturday. Coverage for both matches can be found on ESPN+ and on the Panther Sports Radio Network.
