CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – Indiana State gave league-leading Northern Iowa all it could handle on the road Friday night, but the homestanding Panthers remained undefeated in conference play by defeating the Sycamores in four sets (25-13, 18-25, 25-23, 25-16) inside McLeod Center
 
Karinna Gall notched her second straight double-double with 11 kills and a team-high 17 digs, while Kira Holland extended her streak of double-digit kills to 13 matches, finishing with 16 kills and seven digs. Cadence Gilley added a career-best 16 digs for the Sycamores, while Avery Hales had 33 assists.
 
Hales got things started for the Sycamores with back-to-back kills, and Ella Scott added an early kill to put the Trees ahead 3-1. UNI went on a six-point swing following the early Sycamore advantage, though, and never trailed for the remainder of the set. Consecutive kills from Holland got the Sycamores within two following the early run, but a 9-1 Panther run broke open the set. Holland and Hales added late kills, but Northern Iowa took the opening set 25-13.  
 
Indiana State scored seven of the first eight points to begin the second set, as kills from Holland, Scott and Hales spearheaded an early Sycamore run. Holland and Kaitlyn Hamilton tacked on two kills apiece midway through to push the Trees to an 11-5 lead, and the Sycamores later extended that up to 17-7 on the strength of consecutive kills from Gall. UNI clawed its way back into the set, but Holland and Hales put down kills to keept the Trees in front. Scott and Hamilton combined for a pair of blocks to inch the Sycamores closer to a set win, and Gall clinched the set for the Sycamores with a kill. Indiana State evened the match by taking the second 25-18.
 
The Sycamores carried their momentum into the third set, as a Holland kill and a block assist from Scott and Hales helped Indiana State jump out to a 5-2 lead. Holland and Hamilton added kills to extend the Sycamore advantage, and Storm Suhre got in on the action with a kill to make it 11-9 in favor of the Blue and White midway through. Kills from Gall and Holland kept the Trees in front, but a 6-1 run from the home side saw Indiana State face a 22-18 deficit. Indiana State rallied on Hales' serve to tie things up at 22-apeice, and Holland added another kill late, but UNI scored the last two points to win the third set by a narrow 25-23 margin.
 
Northern Iowa took 10 of the first 14 points to begin the fourth set and never trailed for the remainder of the match. Gall and Suhre put down kills to get the Sycamores within four at 11-7, but a three-point Panther run followed. Indiana State went on a four-point run of its own, thanks in part to kills from Suhre and Hales, and two kills from Gall got the Sycamores within 19-16 late in the set. UNI closed out strong, though, taking the last six points to win the fourth set 25-16 and clinch the match,
 
Inside the Numbers

• Karinna Gall's 17 digs were her most in a match this season, while her double-double was her sixth of the season.
• Avery Hales notched her second double-double of the season, tying her season-high of 11 digs to go along with 33 assists.
• Five different Sycamores finished the match with seven or more digs.

 
News and Notes

• Kira Holland has recorded double-digit kills in each of the last 13 matches, a streak that dates back to the opening weekend of conference play. She also has double-doubles in each of the last three matches.
• Indiana State became just the fourth team to take a set off Northern Iowa in conference play this season, and just the second MVC team to win a set against the Panthers in the McLeod Center this season.
• Indiana State's .174 hitting percentage was a marked improvement over the Sycamores' previous match against Northern Iowa this season, where the Sycamores finished with a negative hitting percentage.

 
Up Next
Indiana State closes the road portion of its season Saturday evening at Drake, with first serve set for 6 p.m.
 
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