The Murray State Racers volleyball team traveled to Cedar Falls last Saturday to face the UNI Panthers for their homecoming game. UNI entered the match 10-5 overall and 3-0 in conference play, while the Racers came in 2-10 with a conference record of 0-3.
The first set of the match was a close one. After an early three-point lead for the Panthers, the two teams went back and forth until the score was tied at 10. Following a brief Murray State lead, the Panthers found a way to tie the game at 20-all. They went on to win the set 25-23 in a nail-biter. Lily Dykstra led the team with five kills in the set, while Isabelle Elliot led the Panthers with three blocks.
The second set was played well defensively by the Panthers, and it wasn’t as close as the first. After jumping out to a 10-3 lead, UNI closed out the frame 25-10 with a dominant showing on both sides of the ball. The Panthers had 14 kills and recorded four blocks in the set, hitting .650 overall.
Midway through the third set, UNI’s Reese Booth recorded an ace to put the Panthers up 16-11. UNI went on to take the set 25-15, completing the three-set sweep. They finished with a hitting percentage of .382 and 17 kills in the final frame.
Cassidy Hartman led UNI with 14 kills and 11 digs for a double-double. Kaitlyn Sellner paced the Panthers with seven total blocks, and Sydney Golden tallied a season-high 19 assists. The Panthers currently hold a regular-season conference win streak of 40 matches and look to extend it to 41 in their upcoming game against Evansville.
For Murray State, UNI handed the Racers their ninth straight loss as they look to turn things around this season.
The Panthers will face the Evansville Purple Aces at home in their next match. The Purple Aces are 5-11 on the season and 1-3 in conference play. Match time is set for 6 p.m. Oct. 10 at the McLeod Center.
