Three More Wins for Panthers

It’s mid-October. The Missouri Valley Conference is much stronger in 2018. Teams are playing their best volleyball. Every match is going to be a challenge. Nonetheless, the Northern Iowa volleyball team earned three victories last week to stay undefeated in conference play and improve to 16-6 overall.

The week started with a 25-22, 25-21, 25-21 victory over Evansville in front of 1,841 fans in Cedar Falls on Oct.8.

Three Kate Busswitz kills, one from Karlie Taylor and an Evansville attack error turned a 6-6 first set into an 11-6, Panther lead. Evansville came to within 24-22, but Karlie Taylor’s kill ended the set.

There were six ties on the way to 12 in set two, but a missed serve, two kills from Piper Thomas, one from Taylor and one from Rachel Koop gave UNI a 17-12 lead and they controlled from there.

The third set saw 11 ties to 20. A missed serve and two Jaydlin Seehase kills made for a 23-20 score. Alondra Vazquez’s kill stopped Northern Iowa’s momentum for a point, a but a Seehase kill and an attack error gave the Panthers the match.

UNI hit .364 to Evansville’s .234.

Statistical leaders for UNI were: kills – Taylor 20, Seehase 11, Thomas eight, Kate Busswitz seven, Inga Rotto three, Koop two and Baylee Petersen one; assists – Loop 39, Kendyl Sorge six, Taylor three and Thomas and Petersen one; aces – Busswitz two; blocks – Rotto and Thomas three and Taylor and Busswitz one; digs – Sorge 15, Abbi Staack 10, Taylor eight, Koop seven, Petersen five, Taylor Hedges four, Rotto two and Busswitz and Thomas one; points – Taylor 20.5, Seehase 11, Thomas 10, Busswitz 9.5, Rotto five, Koop two and Petersen one.

Next was a 25-12, 23-25, 25-10, 25-18 victory over Southern Illinois on Oct.12.

Two Taylor kills and a Busswitz ace helped UNI jump out to a 3-0 lead in the first set and they controlled from there.

The Panthers scored four of set two’s first five points, but Southern Illinois slowly fought back and the set was tied at 21. Unfortunately, two Taylor kills were offset by two missed serves and then Lindsey Paulsen’s kill and a ball handling error gave SIU a 25-23 victory.

Two kills from Taylor, one from Thomas, a Busswitz ace and two Southern Illinois errors made for a 6-0 start to the third set with the Panthers scoring three of set four’s first four points as Northern Iowa controlled both respective sets from there.

UNI hit .371 to Southern Illinois’ .184.

Statistical leaders for UNI were: kills – Taylor 25, Seehase 16, Thomas 14, Rotto six, Busswitz five and Koop four; assists – Koop 53, Sorge six, Busswitz, Thomas and Hedges two and Taylor one; aces – Busswitz and Staack two and Sorge one; blocks – Busswitz, Rotto and Thomas two and Koop one; digs – Taylor 15, Sorge 14, Hedges 12, Koop 10, Petersen six, Rotto four, Staack three, Busswitz two and Seehase one; points – Taylor 25, Seehase 16, Thomas 15.5, Busswitz eight, Rotto seven, Koop 4.5, Staack two and Sorge one.

The weekend ended with a 25-11, 22-25, 25-22, 23-25, 17-15 victory over defending MVC champion Missouri State on Oct.13.

Two Taylor kills and one from Thomas led UNI to a 4-1 lead to start the match which grew to 14-3 and the Panthers went from there.

A 4-1 advantage also started the second set with lead growing to 12-6. But Missouri State fought back with an Emily Butters ace tying the score at 21. Taylor made it 22-21, but kills from Amelia Flynn, Chloe Rear and Cambree Villarreal gave MSU set point. A MacKenzie Irwin/Alyssa Duecette block tied the match at one set each.

Kills from Flynn and Villarreal and two Northern Iowa attack errors gave MSU a 15-10 lead in the third set. A Taylor kill brought UNI to within 20-17 with a Rotto/Thomas block and two Thomas kills and solo block gave the Panthers a 21-10 advantage. Laynie Dake tied the set for Missouri State at 21. The teams exchanged errors before kills from Taylor and Thomas made for set point. An attack error gave UNI a 2-1 lead.

MSU moved out to a 4-1 advantage in the fourth set. The Panthers came back and a Rotto kill and block and a Taylor kill made the score 14-9, Northern Iowa. Kills from Flynn and Rear, an Izzy Gibbon ace and an attack error turned a 19-16 Missouri State deficit to a 19-all set. A Seehase kill gave UNI a 23-22 lead, but kills from Dake and Aubrey Chaffey and an attack error sent the match to a fifth set.

MSU took a 4-1 advantage and kept that margin for the first part of set five. An attack error allowed the Panthers to tie the score at 10. An attack error, two kills from Flynn and a Leah Vokolek ace gave Missouri State match point. Two kills from Taylor and a Rotto/Thomas block tied the score at 14. Another block from Inga and Piper was answered by a Dake kill, but then kills from Taylor and Hedges ended a fantastic match.

UNI hit .246 to MSU’s .155.

Statistical leaders for UNI were: kills – Thomas 22, Seehase 21, Taylor 16, Busswitz seven, Rotto six, Koop four; assists – Koop 60, Sorge five, Hedges and Petersen two and Busswitz, Rotto and Seehase one; aces – Koop two and Taylor one; blocks – Thomas seven, Rotto seven and Taylor five, Koop two and Busswitz one; digs – Taylor 19, Sorge 18, Petersen 13, Koop nine, Busswitz, Hedges and Staack three and Seehase two; points – Thomas 26, Seehase 21, Taylor 20, Rotto 9.5 and Busswitz and Koop 7.5.