FAYETTE, Iowa - The Peacock volleyball team (6-17, 4-6 GLVC) swept Southwest Baptist (Mo.) (8-16, 1-8 GLVC) on Saturday by scores of 29-27, 25-13 and 25-15. Junior middle Kailey Porter totaled nine kills, three aces and five blocks while hitting .316 for the Peacocks.
Senior Martha Pace led the team in kills with 11 while adding eight digs and a block. Alexis Moses had six kills and a block in the middle. Lydia Imbrogno added five kills, eight digs and six service aces.
Setter Grace Fruzen totaled 31 of the team's 32 assists while adding eight digs and a service ace. Morgan Blockk led the team in digs with 24 while McKenna Diermeier added 12.
Upper Iowa's biggest advantage was in service aces, totaling 12 as a team compared to six for the Bearcats. The Peacocks led in kills, 34-27, blocks, 6-5, assists, 32-25, and digs, 63-55. UIU hit .177 compared to SBU's .008.
The Peacocks trailed 18-15 in the first set, but tied it up after two Bearcat attack errors along with kills by Moses and Reese Martin. Upper Iowa had a 24-22 lead, but McKendree tied it up at 24-24. After that, each team failed to convert on a set point, but a kill by Moses helped the Peacocks gain momentum and win the set, 29-27.
UIU jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the second set and extended it to 16-7. Three straight Imbrogno service aces extended it to 21-9, and a Pace kill won the set, 25-13. The Peacocks hit .233 in the second set.
The third set was just as dominant for Upper Iowa. A 6-0 run with three Pace kills gave the Peacocks a 15-6 lead. UIU ended the set on a 4-0 run after a service error, a kill by Pace and two attack errors to win 25-15. This was UIU's best hitting set at .258.
SBU was led by Gabriela Dupee with seven kills, while Hannah Jackson had six. Katie Pogue had 11 assists, and Allie Hawk had 10. Dupree led the team in digs with 24.
The Peacocks are back on the road next weekend against Illinois Springfield (11-11, 3-6 GLVC) and Quincy (Ill.) (18-5, 7-2 GLVC). First serve against the Prairie Stars is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 7, at 6 p.m. UIU plays the Hawks on Saturday, Nov. 8, at 3 p.m.