Volleyball No Match for UNI Hitting, Fall 3-1

Friday, September 13

Columbia, Mo. (Mizzou Arena)

1:00 PM

Kansas City

1-4

Northern Iowa

3-5

Northern Iowa

UMKC

Volleyball No Match for UNI Hitting, Fall 3-1

9/13/2019 4:56:00 PM | Volleyball

Box Score Northern Iowa 3, Kansas City 1

Four Panthers Hit Above .300 to Take Down Roos

KANSAS CITY, Mo - This Friday the 13^th was an unlucky one for the Kansas City volleyball team, as they opened up the Mizzou Invitational against Northern Iowa. Things looked slow from the jump for the Roos as they fell in four sets, 25-10, 25-12, 23-25, 25-18. Kansas City was held to an overall .125 hitting percentage, and allowed the Panthers to hit at a .347 clip. UNI hit .551 through the first two sets before cooling down in the third. The Roos were led in the attack by Alicia Harrington and Melanie Brecka, who contributed 11 kills apiece, followed by Mykal Sadler, who added nine kills on .500 hitting.

The Panthers hopped on the Roos in the first set, rattling off the first four points and never looking back. They used seven kills from Karlie Taylor to push past Kansas City, whose seven kills and seven errors resulted in a .000 first set hitting percentage. Alicia Harrington placed two attacks for kills in the first set, which pushed her over the 1,000 career kill mark. She is the first Roo since Sydney Crimmins in 2015 to reach the four-figure mark.

The Roo's .238 hitting percentage in the second set marked their best of the match, but it was still no opposition for the Panthers. They needed just 22 attacks to pace past KC, finding 14 kills on a .545 hitting percentage.

Kansas City finally hit its stride in the third set, using their first two aces of the match from Alex Ratzlaff and Alli Schomers to jump out to a 6-2 lead, and forcing Northern Iowa to burn both of its timeouts 13 points into the set. The Roos' defense also showed in the third, blocking away four UNI attacks. Schomers was also credited with her first two blocks on the season, one solo and one in collaboration with Ty Lukes. Twice the Roos gained a four point lead, and twice the Panthers returned to gain a lead of their own. A kill by Harrington capped off the back and forth set, giving Kansas City its lone set victory.

The Roos were able to stick with the UNI to begin the fourth set, a span of 13 points saw 11 of them end in errors for either side. A pair of kills by Sadler brought KC within two points at 13-11, but then Taylor took over again for the Panthers. She had three kills to end the set and secure the victory for the Panthers.

Kansas City is back in action twice tomorrow, first against the 2018 Ohio Valley Conference regular season champion Austin Peay Governors at 10 a.m., followed by a match against the hosting, 2018 National Tournament qualifying Missouri Tigers at 4 p.m.