.png&width=20&height=20&type=webp)
University of Northern Iowa
5-6,0-0MVC
SMU
7-3,0-0ACC
Panther volleyball drops first of consecutive matches to No. 22 SMU
9/21/2024 3:25:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
UNI gets out blocked by Mustangs in second of five straight home matches. Panthers host SMU again on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. CT.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- The UNI volleyball team struggled to crack the enigma that was the blocking defense of No. 22 SMU as the Panthers fell in straight sets inside the McLeod Center on Saturday afternoon in the first of two weekend matchups with the Mustangs.
Northern Iowa was held to just a .040 hitting clip and committed 25 total attack errors in Saturday's non-conference tilt, and was out blocked by a three-to-one ratio to the reigning American Athletic Conference (AAC) champions who are making their debut this year in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
Â
HOW IT HAPPENED
UNI struggles to slow down SMU's quick paced offense in an opening set that saw it commit nine attack errors for a negative hitting percentage and the Mustang offense thrive thanks to four kills from Naya Shime. After Northern Iowa pulled within one point at 10-9, SMU rattled off six straight points thanks to it s.167 hitting percentage and 13 team terminations, rolling to a 25-16 first set win over the Panthers.
Adjustments between sets helped UNI improve play off SMU's blocking to aid in the Panthers' strong start to the second stanza, a set where the purple and gold notched 15 kills on .243 hitting. Northern Iowa took a 13-9 lead thanks to a 4-0 run while strong blocking and hitting from Kacie Rewerts, Cassidy Hartman and Kira Fallert paced the Panthers throughout. SMU, with 18 kills and a .368 hitting clip, would storm back to tie the set at 15-15, battling UNI point-for-point to the end, ultimately pulling away for a 25-23 win and a 2-0 match lead.
The Panthers would struggle in the third frame with just seven terminations on 30 attack attempts and ten errors, while the Mustangs blazed their way across the finish line. SMU's blocking attack registered three stops at the net and quickly built a double-digit lead on UNI, which saw its first and only service ace of the match cross the net off the right arm of freshman Reese Booth. The Mustangs would finish the set on a 9-5 scoring run and close the afternoon with a 25-11 set win and three set sweep.
Hartman led UNI with a team-high nine kills, while Olivia Tjernagel registered seven terminations in the loss. Fallert posted a six-kill, five-dig performance against SMU, with Kaitlin Sellner posting four kills. Rewerts led the Panthers with four total blocks, as Sydney Golden tallied 16 assists and Booth finished with 9 assists. Erin Powers rounded out the afternoon with a team-high nine digs.
Â
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- Saturday marked the first all-time meeting between Northern Iowa and SMU in women's volleyball.
- UNI's loss on Saturday marks the first time the Panthers have dropped consecutive matches at home since falling to Valparaiso and Loyola-Chicago to close out the 2021 season.
- The Panthers loss to the Mustangs is their third home loss since the start of the 2022 season. Northern Iowa has gone 23-3 in its last 26 home contests during that span.
- UNI falls to 25-89 all-time against American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) top-25 ranked teams. The Panthers' last win over a ranked opponent came in August of 2018 in a five-set victory over No. 5 Kentucky in Los Angeles.
- Kira Fallert cracked UNI's top-20 all-time list for career kills on Saturday with her 1,151st career termination, passing Krista DeGeest (2008-12).
- Fallert is now just 16 digs shy of 1,000 in her career and becoming the 13th member of UNI's double grand club, which recognizes athletes for reaching quadruple-digit career stat figures in two statistical categories.
Â
UP NEXT
The Panthers will matchup with the Mustangs again on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. CT in the final match of UNI's 2024 non-conference schedule. Live coverage of the match can be found on ESPN+ and the Panther Sports Radio Network.
Fans are also invited to join the Panthers after Sunday's match for a free autograph session on the north deck of the McLeod Center with free posters available on site.
Â
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.
