MATCH STATS
- #24 Washington State def. #14 Northern Iowa 3-1, (25-23, 23-25, 25-23, 25-23)
- Washington State improves to 4-0, Northern Iowa falls to 2-4
- Cedar Falls, Iowa
- Attendance: 1658
- Match Stats
- Washington State Recap/ Northern Iowa Recap
CEDAR FALLS, IOWA— The Washington State Cougars pulled off the upset in four sets over the Northern Iowa Panthers in a non-conference match-up on Saturday night in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The two teams faced each other the night before, also with the Panthers taking the win in four sets.
The Cougars got off to a slow start, despite both teams struggling to put a ball away offensively. The Panthers caught up late in the second set and held the lead to the end to take the set 25-23. Washington State would go on to win set three, 25-23, and set 4 also, 25-23. The Cougars hit .213 in the match while their opponents hit .210.
The Cougars only led in aces (4-2) and blocks (10-5).
Taylor Mims led the Bears to the win with 26 kills on 68 swings with four errors for a .324 hitting clip along with seven digs and an ace, while Claire Martinadded in another 10 kills on 20 swings with four errors to end the night with a .300 hitting performance to go along with four blocks. Jocelyn Uriasmade her presence known with sis kills and one error for a .278 clip along with two aces.
Ashley Brown produced 44 assists and was one dig short of a double-double whileAlexis Dirige picked up a co-match high 23 digs and 4 assists in the back row.
For the Panthers, Karlie Taylor put away a match-high 28 kills on a .290 clip along with 16 digs for a double-double. Piper Thomasposted 17 kills on a .308 hitting percentage, while Rachel Koopwent four for four on a perfect 1.000 performance and dished out 46 assists.
The Cougars will host McNeese State for their 2018 season home-opener on September 7that 12 P.M. PST. The Panthers will get back on the road for the Ball State Tournament to play the host on September 7that 9 AM.
RECAPS
Courtesy of Washington State Athletics
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — After a slow start the Washington State volleyball team (4-0) found its groove late behind the play of their all-american, Taylor Mims, to knock off No. 17 Northern Iowa (2-4), 3-1, for the second-consecutive day in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The Cougars stayed perfect on the season with the win while handing the Panthers their third-straight home loss of the week.
Set scores for the match were: 25-23, 23-25, 25-23, 25-23.
Early on the match proved to be a struggle offensively for both the Cougars and the Panthers as every ball hit seemed to find a defender. Trailing late, the Cougars went to the middle to get back on track as Jocelyn Urias, who finished the match with six kills, put down a pair of kills to begin WSU’s comeback efforts. Down three at 18-15, WSU found its rhythm, rallying past the Panthers with 10-5 run to close out the set and steal the opening victory.
Set two proved to be a reversal of set one as the Cougars jumped out front early thanks to their block only to see the Panthers rally late. UNI found openings in the Cougars’ defense to roll off four-straight points late, turning a 19-16 Cougars’ lead into a 20-19 Panther advantage that would hold the rest of the way.
Knotted at one set a piece for the second-straight match, the Cougars turned to their ace in the hole, Mims, to reset the match. After being held relatively in check for the first two sets, Mims got rolling early in the third as the senior tallied five kills in the first 11 Cougar points. Despite the quick start, WSU found itself trailing 22-18 late, staring at a 2-1 match deficit for the first time on the young season. Even with the four-point deficit, the Cougars would not quit as Mims sparked another rally as WSU closed the set on a 7-1 run to take command of the match and stun the Panthers.
Trailing for much of the fourth set, the Cougars again mounted a late rally against the Panthers, erasing a six-point UNI advantage to take their first lead of the set late at 20-19. From there, the two teams traded points until Mims again took matters into her own hands, drilling her 26th kill of the match to set up match point. A Panther error would seal the deal for the Cougars as WSU completed the comeback and the upset on the road in Iowa.
STAT OF THE MATCH
Taylor Mims recorded 19 of her career-best 26 kills in the final two sets of the match.
NOTES…
- WSU improved to 4-0 on the season for the first time since 2013 when the Cougars rolled off 14-straight wins to begin the year.
- The win over No. 17 UNI was the Cougars’ second-straight over a ranked opponent, the first time since 2016 when WSU dropped three-straight top-25 opponents.
- The Cougars outhit the Panthers .213-to-.210. It marked the second-straight match WSU outhit UNI.
- Senior Taylor Mims led the Cougars for the fourth-straight match with 26 kills (.324 hitting), matching her career high.
- Claire Martin finished the match with a season-best 10 kills.
- UNI’s Karlie Taylor led all attackers with a career-best 28 kills on .290 hitting.
- Junior Alexis Dirige posted a season-best 23 digs to lead the Cougars’ defensive efforts.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR…
The Cougars play at home for the first time in 2018 when they host the Cougar Challenge Tournament Sept. 7-8 at Bohler Gym. WSU hosts McNeese State in its first match of the weekend Friday at noon.
Courtesy of Northern Iowa Athletics
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa—The University of Northern Iowa (2-4) was defeated in four sets against a tough Washington State Cougars (4-0) team.
The Panthers jumped to an early 5-0 lead in the first set and maintained the lead until Taylor Mims of Washington State was able to tie the set at 20. Washington State would win the set 25-23.
The Panthers and Cougars traded points back-and-forth in the second set until Karlie Taylor was able to get a kill to take a 21-20 lead. The Panthers won the second set 25-23.
The Panthers held the Cougars close in the third set before the Cougars pulled away to win 25-23. The largest lead for either team in the set was by three points
The fourth set would mirror earlier sets with the teams trading points. The Panthers were able to extend their lead to five early in the set before Washington State closed the gap. Washington State would win 25-23.
For the Panthers, Taylor led all scorers with 28 kills and was the only player to have a double-double (28 kills, 16 digs). Piper Thomas had 17 kills for the Panthers, while Rachel Koop had 17 digs. Leading the Panthers in digs was Kendyl Sorge with 23. As a team, the Panthers combined for 60 kills, compared to Washington State’s 56.
Washington State had 169 total attacks to UNI’s 157. Washington State record 10 team blocks to UNI’s 5.
Up Next
The Panthers will head to the Ball State Tournament Sept. 7-8. They will meet the host, Ball State, at 9 a.m. on Sept. 7 before taking on Indiana at 4 p.m. that evening. North Dakota State will be the final opponent of the Ball State Tournament, meeting the Panthers at 1 p.m. on Sept. 8.
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