University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
UIC
Panther volleyball puts out Flames in three-set home sweep
11/8/2024 10:57:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
UNI secures top-two seed for MVC Tournament with win over UIC. Panthers host Valparaiso on Saturday night in regular season home finale.
*** EDITOR'S NOTE: Due to a computing error, the interactive box score with player totals is incomplete and not listed. Please see the PDF version ("FINAL RESULTS") for the full and accurate stat totals.
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CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- UNI volleyball's offense clicked at a high level of productivity on Friday night as the Panthers rolled past the UIC Flames in straight sets in Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) play.
Northern Iowa racked up 44 team kills on .347 hitting with four Panthers recording at least eight terminations, while also dishing out seven serve aces. UNI also slowed down UIC's conference leading blocking defense, holding the Flames to just four total blocks on the night.Â
The Panthers, now 19-7 overall and 14-0 in league action, are now guaranteed a top-two seed and double-bye for the upcoming MVC Tournament, set to be held in the McLeod Center and hosted by UNI later this month. Northern Iowa's victory was also its 32nd straight regular season win in conference play dating back to November 2022.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
The Panthers jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead thanks to a pair of Sydney Golden service aces, leading from start to finish in the opening set. Led by three kills each from Olivia Tjernagel and Kacie Rewerts, UNI posted 11 first-set kills on .321 hitting, while the Flames were held to just .152 hitting with both Lily Dykstra and Rewerts recording a pair of blocks. With additional aces from Erin Powers and Reese Booth, Northern Iowa cruises to a 25-17 first set victory.
In the second stanza, Dyktra turned up the heat on the Flames with five terminations as part of a 16-kill set by the Panthers with a .344 hitting clip. UIC struggled to establish its offense with only six kills, but seven attack errors. The Panthers once again led from start to finish in the set, crusied to a 25-15 win with Cassidy Hartman chipping in with four additional terminations and both Grace Mikota and Powers dishing up additional aces.
Northern Iowa again jumped out to a fast start in the third frame, as Dykstra continued to roll with five more kills and Kira Fallert also adding five terminations to her total. Hitting .371 as a team with 17 kills, UNI held the Flames in check despite an improved offensive effort. Leading 13-11, the Panthers pulled away and cruised to an eight-point victory, 25-17 to complete its tenth sweep of an MVC opponent this year.
Dykstra finished the night with a match-high 11 kills on 17 attacks with a .529 hitting percentage with three blocks, as Fallert posted nine kills and two blocks in the win. Both Hartman and Tjernagel tallied eight kills each, while Rewerts posted five kills and four blocks and Kaitlyn Sellner recorded three kills and a pair of blocks. Erin Powers led the match with three of UNI's seven aces and a match-high 15 digs, while Golden posted 21 assists and two aces as Booth finished with 15 assists.
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ADDITIONAL NOTES
- UNI improves to 16-3 all-time against UIC and 6-1 under head coach Bobbi Petersen. The Panthers have won the last six meetings in the series.
- Â Northern Iowa has now started 14-0 in MVC play in each of the last three seasons, as well as for the 11th time since 1995 (1995, 1998-00, 2009-11, 2022-24).
- The Panthers have now won 32 consecutive regular season MVC matches dating back to last season's undefeated conference schedule, the fourth-longest league winning streak in team history. UNI has also won 36 in a row overall against MVC opponents in the regular season and postseason.Â
- UNI has been responsible for holding UIC to its two lowest team hitting percentages in conference play this season. Northern Iowa held the Flames to .036 hitting in its first meeting with UIC on Oct. 5 in Chicago, and .097 tonight.
- Northern Iowa's victory guarantees at top-two finish in the MVC regular season standings, as well as a top-two seed in the MVC Tournament with a double bye. UNI will open MVC Tournament action on Monday, Nov. 25 in the semifinal round.
- Kacie Rewerts surpassed 500 career kills on Friday night. The Nevada, Iowa native and graduate transfer from Drake posted 351 kills with the Bulldogs from 2020-23, and 152 kills this season with the Panthers.
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UP NEXT
The Panthers return to action tomorrow night as they host the Valparaiso Beacons in their final home match of the regular season. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT with live coverage available on ESPN+ and the Panthers Sports Radio Network.
UNI will also honor its senior class following Saturday's match. The Panthers will also celebrate Military Appreciation Night, with all military personnel, both active and retired ,receiving complimentary tickets at the gate by presenting a military or service ID. Additionally, fans can use their UNI football tickets for Saturday's home game against Illinois State for admission to Saturday's match.
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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.
