CORALVILLE, Iowa - North Florida volleyball kicked off its fourth-consecutive road preseason tournament against perennial Missouri Valley Conference power in Northern Iowa and finished the night against host Iowa of the Big Ten. The Ospreys came up short in Friday's matches as UNF sent at least 12 different Ospreys to the court in each match.
UNF 0, UNI 3 (16-25, 22-25, 13-25)
UNF outblocked the Panthers (6-5) and
Maddie Boyd reached 200-career blocks, but UNI's 10 aces helped the Panthers win in three.
Inside the Sets
- Set 1: UNI went on a 5-0 start to give UNI an 8-3 lead … UNI made it 12-3 … Amy Burkhardt dropped in an ace to put UNF on a 3-0 run and get the Ospreys back into the set … consecutive UNI attack errors pushed the Panthers into a timeout as UNF cut its deficit to 16-11 … Kailey McKnight paced all players with four kills in the first, but UNI's six aces proved to be the difference … neither team hit above .200 in the first frame.
- Set 2: A 4-0 run gave UNF an 8-7 lead, its first of the set … Mahalia White made her presence known in the second, starting off with three kills on three attempts … the teams traded points as the frame saw multiple ties … UNI came back with a 5-0 run of its own to create some separation … UNI was on the cusp of putting the set away, but Solimar Cestero helped interrupt that with a block assist and a kill as part of UNF's 3-0 run, forcing a UNI timeout as the Ospreys trailed, 19-16 … UNF got within 19-17, but UNI got a key kill to break UNF's 4-0 run … Cestero emerged from the second set with a team-high six kills, but her effort wasn't quite enough as UNI's early lead allowed the Panthers to hang on, 25-22.
- Set 3: UNF committed only eight attack errors between the second and third set, but UNI had 19 kills in the third frame as the Panthers took the set … the Ospreys outblocked the Panthers for the match, with Solimar Cestero and Boyd posting four block assists apiece.
Leaders By the Numbers
UNF
UNI
- Emily Holterhaus | 10 kills, .429 hitting percentage
- Kira Fallert | 13 kills, 4 aces, 9 digs
UNF 0, Iowa 3 (14-25, 22-25, 23-25)
UNF (1-9) paced the way early in sets two and three, but Iowa had the hot-hand late as the Hawkeyes (5-5) claimed the nightcap in three frames.
Inside the Sets
- Set 1: UNF went down, 4-2, but an Iowa attack error and Mahalia White kill tied the set up … it was tied up 6-6 again after Jenna Zimmermann put down an ace, but a service error, Iowa kill and ace gave the Hawkeyes a 9-6 lead … the Hawkeyes led the rest of the way thanks to .379 hitting as a team … White finished the first frame with four kills on just nine attacks.
- Set 2: Kailey McKnight swung for consecutive kills to open the second set, giving UNF a 2-0 lead … timely offense and blocking fueled UNF's 5-0 run as the Ospreys grabbed a 10-5 lead … Iowa was finally able to get a little bit of traction in the second set, posting a 3-0 run thanks to a trio of blocks, but UNF's lead still stood strong at 13-10 … McKnight came through with an important kill to end the run … UNF took its first timeout of the second after Iowa went on a 3-0 run to get within one … Iowa took its first lead late, 19-18 … Burkhardt had some clutch swings late to keep UNF with Iowa … the two teams traded points the rest of the way until Iowa got just enough breathing room to win the second set, 25-21.
- Set 3: The Ospreys started strong once again, taking a 4-1 lead … McKnight and Kierstyn McFall notched a block, McKnight added a kill and an ace and White notched another kill … Iowa went on a 3-0 run to take its first lead, an 8-7 advantage … Iowa pulled ahead but UNF didn't relent, storming back to get within one at 23-22, forcing Iowa to take a timeout … down 24-22, Boyd prevented Iowa's match point with a kill, but Iowa's Delaney McSweeney posted the match-clinching kill … UNF hit .433 in the final frame with just two errors.
Leaders By the Numbers
UNF
IOWA
- Michelle Urquhart | 11 kills, .320 hitting percentage, 7 digs
- Mari Hinkle | 14 digs
- Lily Tessier | 20 assists
Postmatch Comments
Notes
- It was just the second meeting between UNF and UNI
- North Florida and Iowa played against one another for the first time
- UNF hadn't played against a Missouri Valley Conference team since going up against Indiana State in 2018
- The Ospreys hadn't played a Big Ten foe since facing Michigan in 2012
- McKnight has reached double-digit digs in three matches this year. Her 12-dig match against UNI marked the first time someone other than Rocio Moro paced the team in digs
- White reached double-digit kills for the seventh time on the season
Up Next
UNF plays its weekend finale tomorrow against South Dakota State at noon eastern standard time.
