University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
9-7,4-0MVC
UIC
10-6,2-2MVC
UNI volleyball sweeps UIC for fourth straight win
10/5/2024 9:14:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Panthers roll past Flames in the Windy City to stay unbeaten in MVC play. UNI hosts Belmont, Murray State next weekend.
CHICAGO --- One night after a thrilling come-from-behind win at Valparaiso, the UNI volleyball team dominated the UIC Flames on Saturday in a three-set sweep at Credit Union 1 Union Arena.
The Panthers, now one of two remaining undefeated teams in Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) play, notched a season-high .405 team hitting percentage with 43 team kills as UIC struggled to establish its attack. UNI also notched seven service aces to the Flames' one.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
Northern Iowa broke out with a strong start with zero attack errors in its first nine kills with Cassidy Hartman leading the charge for the Panthers with seven kills. Reese Booth dished out a pair of aces for the purple and gold as both Olivia Tjernagel and Kira Fallert notched seven terminations. Hitting .385 with 15 kills, UNI cruised to a 25-14 first set win.
The Panthers continued to roll on offense in the second stanza with 14 kills on .522 hitting while UIC struggled to get into rhythm with five kills and seven attack errors with a -.083 clip. Opening on a 7-1 scoring run, Kacie Rewerts' blocking effort helped stifle the Flames with a dominating performance as UNI quickly built a double-digit lead, closing the set on consecutive aces by Fallert in an impressive 25-11 win.
UNI's stellar play carried into the third set as the Panthers pulled away from an early 3-3 tie with strong play on both offensive and defensive. Northern Iowa tallied 14 kills on a .333 hitting percentage while the Flames struggled with ten attack errors. Leading 20-12, the Panthers closed strong, scoring five of the last nine points to secure a 25-16 victory and finish the match in a straight set sweep.
Hartman finished with a match-high 11 kills and a .444 hitting clip as Fallert tallied ten terminations, three aces and eight digs in the Panther win. Tjernagel posted nine kills with five kills and six blocks from Lily Dysktra, plus five kills and seven blocks by Rewerts. Erin Powers recorded 13 digs, while Sydney Golden led with 20 assists and 16 assists from Booth. Kaitlyn Sellner posted three kills, along with two aces and five blocks.
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ADDITIONAL NOTES
- UNI improves to 15-3 all-time against UIC in volleyball with Saturday's win in its fifth straight victory over the Flames. The Panthers are also now 6-1 against UIC under head coach Bobbi Petersen.
- This year marks the third straight season Northern Iowa has started 4-0 in MVC play, the fourth time doing so in the last six seasons.
- UNI's .405 team hitting percentage was the highest in a match since Sept. 9, 2021 in a 3-0 win over Gonzaga (.444).
- The Panthers have now won 22 consecutive regular season MVC matches dating back to last season's undefeated conference schedule, the fifth-longest league winning streak in team history. UNI has also won 26 in a row overall against MVC opponents in the regular season and postseason.
- After an impressive eight-block showing against Valparaiso and seven tonight against UIC, Kacie Rewerts passed Missouri State's Mindy Stuckhoff (1985-88) for fifth-most block assists in MVC history with her 531st career block assists. Rewerts also surpassed 600 career total blocks in the win.
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UP NEXT
The Panthers return to action next Friday, Oct. 11 as they open a three-match homestand against the Belmont Bruins. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT inside the McLeod Center with live coverage also available on ESPN+ and the Panther Sports Radio Network.
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UNI volleyball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Volleyball), X (@UNIVolleyball) and on Instagram (@univolleyball). The full 2024 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
