The Panthers started off strong in the opening set, never losing the lead. They jumped to a quick 9-3 lead thanks to errors by FIU. Kaitlyn Sellner and Olivia Tjernagel both had four kills in the first set as part of a 16-kill set for the Panthers. Along with a pair of aces from Kira Fallert the Panthers would go on to be dominant in the first set winning 25-12.
Fallert started off with another pair of aces and Erin Powers followed behind with one as well to keep the Panthers momentum rolling. They put together an early lead of 7-1 thanks to a 6-0 run as well as eight more after that to boost the lead to 15-4. The momentum kept going to allow Grace Mikota andLily Dykstra an opportunity to come off the bench and help the team to a 25-11 second set win.
Another set of back-to-back aces from Fallert helped boost the Panthers early to a 3-1 lead in the third stanza. FIU would then try to find their groove and rally back against the Panthers, but Cassidy Hartman would prove to be too much for them and tie up the set 11-11 with a kill. UNI would continue to go on to keep the lead and score the last seven of 10 points to take the set 25-20 and sweep FIU.
The Panthers then battled the Dayton Flyers next in their matchup. UNI was back-and-forth early in the first set as Kacie Rewerts captured three early blocks for the Panthers. Hartman tallied six kills in the first set and Fallert followed behind with four to help the Panthers rally ahead to a 15-11 score. Dayton came back to tie it up 15-15 and at 20-20 but UNI would reign supreme and secure the set with a 25-20 win.
UNI grabbed the lead early with a 4-1 score, but it was not enough as the Flyers would come out hot. Dayton had seven blocks in the second set and forced the Panthers to nine errors. The Flyers closed out the set on a 5-1 run and captured the set in a 25-21 set win.
The Panthers found their groove again in the third set posting a team 18 kills to keep momentum during the set. UNI led the whole match thanks to a solid defense from the team which helped out Fallert and Hartman in the front row. They ended on a 7-2 run and captured the set 25-15 going up 2-1.
Dayton came out strong in the fourth set breaking an early 9-9 tie from the Panthers. They would continue to rally on and gain a 16-7 run to close the frame. The Flyers held UNI to a .143 hitting percentage while they tallied 14 kills in the set and forced a fifth set between the two.
The Flyers momentum from the fourth set continued on into the fifth. Dayton went on a 7-2 run, as well as a nine-kill set with only one error. The Panthers would do their best to battle back, but ultimately ended short with a 15-11 loss in the fifth set and the match going to the Flyers.
To round out the week- end the Panthers battled a tough Ohio State team. Ohio State started off strong on the first set posting 13 kills and making times difficult for the Panthers. UNI fell behind 15-8 but rallied back on a 6-0 run to get within one. The Buckeyes proved to be a service powerhouse in the first set against the Panthers and closed out the set 25-20 resulting in a Panther loss.
On the flip side, the Panthers came out hot in the second set and never let up. They gained a 5-0 run midway through the set to help keep momentum pushing and build a nine-point lead during the set. The Buckeyes would come back within one at 22-21 but the Panthers would hold off and take the set 25-22.
The third set was extremely back-and-forth between the two teams giving it their all, with 13 ties and five lead changes. Sellner and Fallert helped to keep the Panthers alive in the set as the team had 15 kills to build a 24-21 lead. Despite their efforts, the Buckeyes would make their way back and go on a 5-0 to close out the set and take it from the Panthers in a 26-24 win, forcing a fourth set.
The fourth set proved to be a lot of back-and-forth between the two teams with Ohio State leading for most of the set. UNI totaled 20 kills in the final set which challenged the Buckeyes late. The Panthers would have set points in their favor twice, but Ohio State would rally late and take the fourth set victory on some Panther errors, 29-27.
