MATCH STATS
- #25 Northern Iowa def. Indiana State, 3-0 (25-20, 26-24, 25-22)
- Northern Iowa improves to 23-6, 13-2 Missouri Valley; Indiana State falls to 7-19, 5-9 Missouri Valley
- Cedar Falls, Iowa
- Attendance: 2469
- Box score
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – #25 Northern Iowa had two players pass major milestones in their respective careers on Senior Night against Indiana State.
Setter Heather Hook, the lone senior on the Panther roster, became the 6th UNI player to surpass 4,000 career assists. She did so by running the efficient offense with 37 assists and added 9 digs and 6 kills. Junior middle blocker Piper Thomas passed the 1,000 kill mark in her career by crushing a team- and match-high tying 13 kills. She was joined by sophomore outside hitter Karlie Taylor, who also pounded 13 kills. Kendyl Sorge led the Panthers on the night with 16 digs.
Indiana State fought hard throughout the match. The Sycamores actually beat the Panthers in blocks (7-4), digs (72-70) and hitting percentage (.226-.209). The Trees were led by freshman outside hitter Nikkie White and junior outside hitter Laura Gross with 11 kills each. Gross also turned in a double-double performance with a match-high 19 digs. Senior libero Steph Bindernagel added 18 digs to the floor defense for ISU. Senior setter Rachel Griffin dished out 34 assists and earned her own double-double by chipping in 11 digs.
PRESS RELEASES
Courtesy of Northern Iowa Athletics
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The University of Northern Iowa sent senior setter Heather Hook out on the right note with a 3-0 sweep of visiting Indiana State in the McLeod Center on Saturday. UNI won by set scores of 25-20, 26-24, 25-22.
UNI (23-6 overall, 13-2 MVC) honored Hook prior to her final regular season home match. Hook then went out and became the sixth Panther to surpass 4,000 career assists. Hook tallied 37 assists, nine digs and six kills in the victory.
Indiana State (7-19 overall, 5-9 MVC) lost for the 31st straight time in Cedar Falls. The Sycamores are 4-60 all-time against the Panthers. UNI head coach Bobbi Petersen improved to 35-1 all-time against Indiana State.
Hook wasn’t the only Panther to reach a milestone as junior Piper Thomas recorded her 1,000thcareer kill in the victory. Thomas tied for team-high honors with sophomore Karlie Taylor as each posted 13 kills in the victory. Kendyl Sorge led the squad with 16 digs.
Courtesy of Indiana State Athletics
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — After bouncing in and out of the national polls for much of the season, Northern Iowa showed why Saturday at the McLeod Center as the Panthers swept Indiana State (25-20, 26-24, 25-22) to improve to 23-6 on the season and 13-2 in Missouri Valley Conference action. The Sycamores fell to 7-19 on the season and 5-9 in MVC play.
The Sycamores held strong in the first set before the Panthers flexed their offensive prowess midway through the frame. Indiana State took a 10-9 lead before UNI reeled off a 7-2 run to take the lead. The Panthers again put together a run to take the set, 25-20.
Indiana State gave UNI all they could handle in the next two sets, pushing UNI to the brink. The Panthers were able to sneak by for a 26-24 win in the second set thanks to a pair of late kills from their offensive leader Bri Weber and an attacking error by the Trees.
After trailing 10-5 in the third frame, the Sycamores battled UNI to just two points late at 22-20 before the Panthers used three kills from Karlie Taylor to secure the sweep with a 25-22 set win.
Laura Gross and Nikkie White led the way for ISU with 11 kills each. Gross also notched consecutive double-doubles this weekend with 19 digs in the match followed by Stephanie Bindernagel who had 18. Rachel Griffin had 34 kills for the Sycamores.
Cassie Kawa and Damadj Johnson each continued their dominance at the net as Kawa finished with four blocks and Johnson had three for the Sycamores.
ISU won the hitting percentage battle hitting .226 for the match while the Panthers just hit over .200 at .209.
The Panthers were led by the duo of Piper Thomas and Karlie Taylor who had 13 kills each.
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