Volleyball wins thriller at UNI
Redshirt sophomore outside hitter Morgan Kuhrt gets blocked by the Minnesota team in a 16-25, 20-25, 25-20, 23-25 loss. Kuhrt had 10 kills on Sep. 13.
September 24, 2014
Call it deja vu for the ISU volleyball team.
The Cyclones (7-3, 0-0) traveled to Cedar Falls, Iowa, to take on the Northern Iowa Panthers (7-6, 2-0 Missouri Valley) on Sept. 24. Just like the matchup in Cedar Falls on Sept. 4, 2013, the Cyclones won in five sets (25-21, 28-26, 19-25, 16-25, 15-10).
As was the case last year, Iowa State claimed the first two sets over the hosting Northern Iowa.
The Cyclones went ahead early in set one, taking a 10-4 lead. The Panthers put together a 4-1 run to climb back into the set. Iowa State responded with a run of its own, taking a commanding 21-13 lead.
The Panthers refused to go down quietly, however, as they rattled off four points in a row to force an ISU timeout. Before Northern Iowa was able to put together another run, Iowa State closed out the set, 25-21.
The second set appeared to head more in Iowa State’s favor, as the Cyclones hovered around a five point lead most of the frame. Northern Iowa came back again, but even stronger this time.
The Panthers clawed back a tie at 22-all, forcing the Cyclones into another momentum-countering timeout. The teams went back and forth, trading points and forcing the set to go beyond the standard 25, win-by-two format.
Tied at 26, the Cyclones substituted in middle blocker Samara West. On the next point, West teamed up with setter Suzanne Horner for a block to give Iowa State the final lead of the set. Iowa State claimed it, 28-26.
Again, as was the case in 2013, the Panthers found their stride in the next two sets.
Northern Iowqa, aided by five ISU attack errors, opened up the largest lead at that point in the match, 18-8.
Morgan Kuhrt, who saw increased playing time due to some ISU injuries, led a small ISU rally with three kills to bring the Cyclones within four. The comeback was for naught as the Panthers pulled away to take set three by a score of 25-19.
And again, 385 days after the Cyclones took a five-set thriller at the McLeod Center, history found a way to repeat itself, as the Cyclones claimed the deciding set, 15-10.
Kuhrt, who had totaled 17 kills in eight matches this year before the UNI match, led the the ISU attack with 14 kills and hit at a clip of .355.
The ISU volleyball team continues its road journey Sept. 27 when it travels to Fort Worth, Texas, to face Texas Christian University.