Box Score

FAYETTE, Iowa – Set one of Friday night's Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference volleyball match set the tone for the entire night.  The visiting Northern State University Wolves battled Upper Iowa University through 13 tie scores and eight lead changes before falling to the host Peacocks 27-29.  UIU went on to take set two by a 25-17 count before the Wolves rallied out of the break for back-to-back 25-22 victories to force a fifth set.  Owing to the tone of the opening stanza, the final set also went to extra points before the Peacocks pulled out a 20-18 win to clinch the overall match victory 3-2.

The loss drops NSU to 8-7 overall and 0-6 in NSIC play, while the Peacocks improved to 4-10 overall and 2-4 in league action.

The Wolves, playing without injured outside hitter and second setter Amber Bloom, got a solid all-around performance from senior middle blocker Whitney Morsching, who racked up 12 kills, three service aces and nine total blocks.

Konefesi Vaisigano added 13 kills and 21 digs, while junior Kaili Aiono finished with 19 kills and five service aces on the night.

In set one, the Wolves saw a 22-19 edge slip away late in the set.  NSU then erased three straight UIU set points before back-to-back kills by Kayla Ysteboe and Claire Kopfmann gave the Wolves a set point of their own.  UIU, however, erased right back using back-to-back NSU attacking errors before putting the set away with a Sara Vance kill, one of her 17 on the night.

After dropping the second set to go down two sets to none, the Wolves rallied in the third to stave off the Peacocks, building up an early lead before settling in to ride the lead to a 25-22 win.

Set four was a continuation of the drama of the first set.  Neither team was able to hold serve long enough to maintain a comfortable lead.  After 14 ties and three lead changes, the Wolves regained serve down 21-22 after a UIU attacking error, then rattled off four straight points using two Aiono service aces, a Morsching kill and a Morsching-Katy Oelke block to take the win and force the fifth set.

Drama reigned supreme in the fifth set, as well.  The Wolves rallied from a 10-5 deficit to take a 15-14 lead after two straight Paula Martins-Vaisagano blocks.  Both teams then gained and erased two match points before the Peacocks took the lead for good on a Kayla Wagner kill.  UIU closed out the night with Alex Fink's lone ace of the night.

The Wolves are back in action on Saturday with another NSIC match-up against Winona State.  First serve is set for 4 p.m.