Upper Iowa University Athletics

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Upper Iowa volleyball (3-5) wrapped up the Sioux Falls Classic on Saturday with losses to Black Hills State (S.D.) (4-4) and Emporia State (Kan.) (7-1). UIU took BHSU to five sets to start the day, but fell in the final set, 15-13.

Freshman Natalie Bystol led the Peacocks with 26 kills, finishing the weekend with 45. She had a career-high 17 kills against Black Hills State. Erica Conger totaled 17 kills, Kailey Porter added 11 kills while hitting .429 and Gracen Klima tallied 10 kills. 

Grace Fruzen led the Peacock setters with 47 assists (9.40/set) while adding 19 digs, three blocks and a service ace. Caylee Rowley added 22 assists (7.33/set) with five digs and two blocks. 

On defense, Morgan Block led the Peacocks with 43 digs (5.38/set) while adding 10 assists and registering her first kill of the season. Avery Agnew totaled 19 digs and two assists.

The Peacocks have a week off before starting conference play in St. Louis, Missouri, against Maryville (Mo.) on Friday, Sept. 18. The GLVC opener is set for 6 p.m. in Moloney Arena. 

Black Hills State 3, Upper Iowa 2 (18-25, 25-15, 25-19, 19-25, 15-13)
The Peacocks took the first set after a six-kill performance by Bystol in the opening frame. Leading 20-17, the freshman totaled three straight kills, and kills by Faith Fisher and Rowley helped UIU win the set, 25-18. 

Black Hills outhit Upper Iowa .385-.069 in the second set to win, 25-15. Set three featured eight ties and three lead changes, but the Yellow Jackets ultimately scored nine out of the last 10 points of the set to win, 25-19.

Tied at 12-12 in the fourth set, UIU scored five straight points to take a 17-12 advantage. BHSU cut the lead to 21-19, but kills by Bystol and Fisher, along with two Yellow Jacket attack errors, helped the Peacocks force a fifth set, 25-19. 

The fifth set was another back-and-forth battle, featuring eight ties and three lead changes. The Peacocks ultimately were unable to fend off the Yellow Jacket attack, led by Carsyn Mettler with six kills. Black Hills State scored 12 of their 15 points in the set via kills.

Bystol led UIU with a career-high 17 kills while Conger added 11 and Klima totaled 10. Conger, Addy Vaughn and Bystol each had two assists. Fisher and Conger each had six blocks, and Alexis Moses totaled five blocks. 

Rowley led UIU with 22 assists, while Fruzen had 16 and Block had eight. Block totaled 29 digs, tying her season-high. Agnew added 12 digs and Vaughn had seven.

BHSU outhit UIU .207-.193 total in the match with a slight 57-54 kills advantage. UIU outblocked the Yellow Jackets, 12-9, but BHUS had 11 aces to UIU's nine. 

Emporia State 3, Upper Iowa 0 (26-24, 25-17, 25-18)
ESU outhit the Peacocks .282-.131 with a 46-38 kills advantage. The Hornets also limited the Peacock pressure at the net, only allowing one block while totaling seven of their own. 

The first set featured 13 ties and five lead changes. Kills by Porter and Bystol helped tie the game at 24, but ESU finished the set with back-to-back kills by Brailee Bogle and Lavra Krizanic to win the set, 26-24. 

UIU never led or tied in the second set as Emporia jumped out to an early 11-3 advantage. A five-point run by the Hornets pushed the lead to 19-7 later in the set. UIU's late rally wasn't enough as ESU won the second frame, 25-17. 

With ESU leading 8-7 in the third, the Hornets scored six out of the next seven points via five Peacock attack errors. Back-to-back kills by Porter helped cut the lead to 18-15, but ESU held on to win the set, 25-18. 

Fruzen led the team in assists with 31 and tied for the team lead in digs with 14. Porter finished the game with a team-high 11 kills, and Bystol added nine. Block picked up seven digs and Agnew had seven.

Krizanic led the Emporia attack with 14 kills. Bogle led the Hornets in every other category with 28 assists, 13 digs, three blocks and two aces.