The women’s volleyball team defended their honor here at home both Friday and Saturday night. Taking the Illinois State Redbirds, 3-1, on Friday and the Indiana State Sycamores, 3-0, on Saturday, the Panthers proved their worth while advancing in conference rankings.

The Panthers started slow in their first set of the weekend. A combination of a strong Redbird defense and a number of errors from UNI set them back, 22-25, in the first set.

Starting cold in the second set, both teams slowly turned up the heat and began to execute a number of well-formed plays. Staying alive and gaining traction, the Panthers turned the tables to trump the Redbirds, 25-22.

The third and fourth sets were a reflection of the second and did not come easy for UNI. Set scores were tight, as the Panthers finished 25-21 and 25-23, taking a 3-1 victory over their opponent.

Starting back in their second match of the weekend, the Panthers gained their footing soon after—executing a six-point run that pushed them through the rest of the set, finishing 25-19.

Down, 8-10, in the second set against the Sycamores, UNI turned the tides with another five-point run. Using this momentum, the Panthers took the second set with another 25-19 victory.

Staying within four points of each other for the majority of the third set, the Panthers held on to their lead and took the set, 25-22, earning their fifth shut-out of the season.

“It’s a battle. It’s a race,” said head coach Bobbi Petersen as she considers the fight for top MVC seeds. “Any win right now—when you have four teams between 2nd and 6th place—is huge.”

After their victories this weekend, UNI has clinched a 15-11 season record while advancing, 9-4, in the Missouri Valley Conference rankings. Subsequently, the Panthers lowered the Redbirds to a 7-5 conference total and pushed the Sycamores down to 3-9 in MVC standings.

The Panthers hit the road again Nov. 6 to take on Missouri State at 7 p.m. and will face Wichita State the following night, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m. as well. The outcome of these games will be crucial for the Panthers, with only a month to go the MVC Championship approaching, taking place Nov. 28 in Springfield, MO.