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University of Northern Iowa
4-3,0-0MVC
Creighton
6-1,0-0Big East
Panther volleyball drops straight set match to No. 9 Creighton
9/13/2024 2:05:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
UNI battles former MVC rival in opening match of Cardinal Classic. Panthers take on No. 4 Louisville tomorrow afternoon.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. --- UNI volleyball tested the ninth-ranked Creighton Bluejays in the second and third sets, but was unable to hold off the reigning Big East Conference champions in a 3-0 loss on Friday afternoon at the KFC Yum! Center.
Playing at the site of this year's NCAA Final Four and national championship match, the Panthers entered the weekend on a three-match winning streak, looking to snap a six-match skid to their former conference rivals. Ultimately, it would be the Bluejays' height, dominance at the service line and blocking that proved to be key factors in the opening match of the Cardinal Classic.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
Out of the starting gate, the Panthers struggled to combat Creighton's high-powered offense that raced up 15 team kills on .375 hitting. Being out blocked four-to-one, UNI committed nine attack errors and were unable to climb out of an early hole despite a 4-0 run in the middle of the set to cut the Bluejays' lead to just three points. Fallert led the way with four early kills in the opening frame as Creighton took the first set by a score of 25-15.
Northern Iowa put up a challenge to the Bluejays in a back-and-forth second stanza that featured 11 ties and five lead changes. With Fallert notching seven assists in the frame and Panthers improving offensively with a .243 setting hitting percentage with more aggressive outside attacks, UNI used a 5-1 run to grab its first lead of the set at 12-11 and wrestled with the Bluejays to the finish line. Despite the vigorous fight, Creighton would ultimately pull away by scoring seven of the final nine points in a 25-20 set win.
UNI opened the third set with a healthy 4-1 run, but quickly fell behind as the Bluejays rattled off ten straight points to grab an 11-4 lead in a frame that saw the Panthers commit nine attack errors. Using a 7-2 run in the middle of the set, Northern Iowa cut Creighton's lead to just two points, but struggled to slow the Bluejays offense late. Despite holding Creighton to a .048 hitting percentage with ten errors, UNI would drop the third set 25-20 and the match in straight sets.
Cassidy Hartman would finish the afternoon with a ten-kill, ten-dig double-double performance, while Fallert tied for the match-high with 13 terminations on 39 attempts and a .154 hitting clip. Olivia Tjernagel posted six kills, with Kacie Rewerts recording five blocks and Lily Dykstra tallying two kills and three blocks. Sydney Golden led UNI with 14 assists, as Reese Booth recorded 12 assists, with Erin Powers posting a match-high 14 digs.
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ADDITIONAL NOTES
- UNI falls to 42-16 all-time against Creighton in the all-time series with its seventh consecutive loss to the Bluejays. The Panthers last beat Creighton in 2018.
- Northern Iowa is now 25-87 all-time against teams ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association's (AVCA) top-25 poll, and 7-39 against top-ten ranked opponents. UNI's last win over a top-ten and ranked challenger came against No. 5 Kentucky in 2018 in a tournament in Los Angeles.
- The Panthers were held without a service ace for the first time since Sept. 9 of last season against Utah State. Creighton meanwhile racked up seven aces at the service line.
- UNI was successful on two challenged calls, improving its success rate this season on challenges to 55.5% (5-for-9).
- With four block assists on Friday, Kacie Rewerts is now just six block assists away from 500 in her career. The graduate transfer from Drake currently sits sixth on the Missouri Valley Confernece's (MVC) all-time list in block assists.
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UP NEXT
UNI returns to action on Saturday afternoon against No. 4 Louisville in its second match of the Cardinal Classic. First serve is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. CT with live coverage 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.
