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University of Northern Iowa
3-2,0-0MVC
Ball State
2-3,0-0MAC
UNI volleyball secures sweep of Ball State in Omaha
9/2/2023 6:34:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Panthers win back-to-back matches for the first time this season. UNI takes on No. 20 Creighton on Sunday afternoon.
OMAHA, Neb. --- Tayler Alden joined elite company with her 3,000th career assist as UNI's defense and serving game propelled the Panthers to a 3-0 sweep of the Ball State Cardinals on Saturday afternoon on the second day of the Bluejay Invitational at D.J. Sokol Arena.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UNI wrestled back and forth throughout much of the opening frame before the Panthers grabbed a five-point lead at 18-13. Ball State would pull back within three points before UNI closed the set on a Cardinal error and a Kira Fallert attack. Forcing six BSU errors and hitting .250, the Panthers held on for a 25-20 win for an early lead.
In the second set, the Panthers turned up the notches offensively with 18 team kills on a .324 hitting percentage. UNI built an eight-point advantage thanks to a Layanna Green termination, but the Cardinals would storm back and force bonus ball. Facing the possibility of Ball State tying the match, the Panthers scored three straight points with a pair of kills from Olivia Tjernagel to take the second stanza 26-24.
UNI faced an early deficit in the third frame as the Cardinals jumped out to a 6-2 lead. Aided by a pair of 3-0 Panther runs, UNI took the lead at 12-11 on a Green termination and cruised ahead on a 4-0 run with kills by Kaylissa Arndorfer and Green. Holding the opposition to .114 hitting and racking up another 18 kills on offense, the Panthers finished strong as Emily Holterhaus capped an active afternoon on the court for a 25-19 win and the three-set sweep.
Holterhaus led a trio of Panthers finishing the afternoon with double-digit kills, notching 13 terminations on the day, as Fallert and Tjernagel each posted ten-kill performances. Fallert also recorded her second double-double of the season with ten digs. Green dished up a career-high three service aces, while Tayler Alden posted 37 assists. Erin Powers led UNI with a team-high 14 digs.Â
ÂADDITIONAL NOTES
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UNI extends its series lead against Ball State to 5-3. The Panthers have now won five of the last six matchups.
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Tayler Alden is now the eighth player in UNI history to reach 3,000 assists in her career. With 3,036 assists to date, Alden ranks eighth in program history.
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Emily Holterhaus' 13 kills against the Cardinals tie her for tenth on UNI's all-time terminations list, tied with current assistant coach and Panther Athletics Hall of Famer Kim (McCaffrey) Davis with 1,272.
UP NEXT
UNI will face off against No. 20 Creighton on Sunday afternoon to close out the Bluejay Invitational. First serve is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT, with the match being streamed on FloVolleyball and on the Panther Sports Radio Network.
