Box Score

The Peacock volleyball team is filled with veteran leaders from the back line to the front line.  Upper Iowa improved to 9-1 at home this season with a 3-0 sweep of the University of Sioux Falls Cougars behind great play from from their upperclassmen.  UIU hit .270 for the match and held their guests to just .029 hitting on offense; the Peacocks forced the poor hitting thanks to solid back line play and a 13-4 advantage in team blocks.  

The win pushes Upper Iowa's record to 15-9 overall and 9-6 in the NSIC.  UIU is still tied for eighth place with Northern State University, but are only one game behind a four-way tie (10-5) for fourth place. 

Upper Iowa ran away with the first set claiming a 25-9 win after holding the Cougars to a -.200 hitting percentage.  The Peacocks tallied 6 blocks in the first set.

The home team used a 14-4 run to close the second set after having been tied with Sioux Falls, 11-11.  UIU matched their kill total from the first set and ran their match tally to 20 prior to the break.

In the third set, the two teams battled back and forth thanks to sparks off the Cougar bench, but the Peacocks were able to edge out a 25-20 victory and claim the NSIC sweep.

UIU was led by junior Melanie Behnke on offense with 10 kills, but a balanced attack allowed senior Kayla Wagner to pick up 7 kills and sophomore Hailey Brown to knock down 6.  The offense was orchestrated by senior Skylar Lesan, who dished out 26 assists.  Sophomore Amanda Weiss picked up 12 digs, while seven other Peacocks registered at least 3 digs.  At the net, senior Maryn Fulton tallied 7 blocks and Wagner and Brown recorded 5 and 4, respectively.

Upper Iowa will return to Prochaska Court tomorrow afternoon to face the #1 Mustangs of Southwest Minnesota State University.  The first serve is scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday in Fayette.