The Peacock volleyball team hasn't played in a five-set match since the opening weekend of the 2022 campaign when they split a pair of 3-2 decisions, but on Friday night in Sioux Falls, S.D. Upper Iowa forced a fifth set in their NSIC match against Augustana University. The Vikings claimed the first two sets by scores of 25-19 and 26-24 before UIU was able to win the third and fourth frames by 25-23 and 25-19 counts. The home team was able to fend off their guests in the fifth and final set 15-13 to win the match. Augie improves to 17-8 overall and 9-8 in the conference, while Upper Iowa falls to 14-10 overall and 8-9 in the Northern Sun.
Both offenses were in control in the match. Augustana hit .244 with 74 kills (14.8/set), while Upper Iowa converted at a .236 clip with 67 kills (13.4/set). After 14 attack errors combined in the first and second sets, the Peacock attack became much more efficient logging only eight total attack errors over the final three sets.
Maggie Streightiff continued her strong play over the last two weeks with 23 kills (4.6/set) and just six attack errors.
Emily Kono (14) and
Madelyn Rettler (13) combined for 27 more kills and just five attack errors between the pair.
Nicole Pozorski orchestrated the UIU attack and picked up 51 assists, while
Kaci Beesecker paced the backline defense with 30 digs (6/set) and Pozorski (18) and
Lydia Imbrogno (14) combined for 32 digs behind their libero.
Sarah Johnson provided a spark off the bench with six kills and four blocks.
The Peacocks didn't have an answer for Maddy Guetter, who led the Vikings with 27 kills (5.4/set) and a .411 hitting percentage to accompany 18 digs. Avery Thorson handed out 66 assists, while Kate Reimann added 20 kills and 16 digs.
After the Vikings won the first set 25-19, the Peacocks jumped out to an early 5-1 lead in the second set. Augustana fought back and tied the score at 16-all, but Upper Iowa used a 4-0 run highlighted by a pair of Pozorski kills to move ahead 20-16. Once again, the home team rallied and knotted the score at 22-all. UIU had a set point ahead 24-23, but three straight points from the Vikings gave them the victory.
In the third set, the Peacocks trailed 12-9 after a Guetter kill, but Upper Iowa rallied with seven straight points fueled by two big kills from Streightiff. Upper Iowa kept their advantage until a three-point run by the Vikings tied the score at 21-all. UIU dug down and found the strength to play on scoring four of the final six points to grab a 25-23 win.
Upper Iowa had a firm grip on the momentum in the fourth set and jumped out to a 19-9 lead thanks to five kills from the left hand of Streightiff. Augustana did rattle off five straight points, but the margin was too much to overcome as the Peacocks scored a 25-19 win to force the fifth set.
The Peacocks took early control in the fifth set with a 5-1 lead, but the Vikings were able to come back and pull within one, 5-4. Upper Iowa kept the pressure on leading by four as the set progressed. UIU's last four-point lead was 11-7 after a kill from
Kylie Willis. Jolie Stecher knocked down a pair of kills for the Vikings before Streightiff got her 23
rd kill of the night to put UIU just three points away from a win, 12-9. Unfortunately, the Vikings scored the next five straight points and added the final match-winning point off the hand of Kia Kriener to take the fifth set 15-13.
Upper Iowa has to get over the loss quickly as the team has a match on Saturday, Oct. 29 in Wayne, Neb. The Peacocks will line up against the No. 3 Wildcats of Wayne State College at 3 p.m.
