CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — The No. 21-ranked University of Northern Iowa volleyball team stretched the nation’s second-longest winning streak to 25 matches with a 25-19, 21-25, 25-17, 25-21 win over Creighton on Friday.

The first set featured 11 ties and two lead changes before an 8-1 run by UNI. The Panthers (27-2, 17-0 Missouri Valley) pounded 20 kills and hit .395 in the first set while also getting 24 digs, nine from libero Ellie Blankenship.

Creighton’s Heather Thorson had a hand in four straight blocks as the Jays (12-16, 9-8 Missouri Valley) took an 11-5 lead early in the second set. The Panthers rallied to take their only lead of the set at 20-19, but CU scored six of the final seven points, closing the set on a Sarah Schulze kill. Creighton had 29 digs and five blocks in the second set, keyed by four kills from Allie Oelke.

UNI recovered from a 5-1 deficit to win the third set, 25-17. With the score tied at 14-14 UNI went on a 6-0 run to take control. The Panthers’ Michelle Burow had seven kills in the set.

The Panthers trailed most of the fourth set before a 5-0 run gave them an 18-15 lead. Creighton scored three in a row to close within 21-20 before the Panthers won four of the final five points to close the match.

Alicia Runge led CU with 14 kills on .448 hitting, while Oelke also had 12 kills and 20 digs. Nayka Benitez led CU’s defense with 24 digs. Creighton finished with 51 kills, one ace, 86 digs and 12.5 blocks while hitting .174.

Megan Bober had six blocks to become the first Creighton setter with 100 blocks in a season. She also had 41 set assists to go over 1,000 for her career.

Creighton will close its regular season against Bradley tonight at 7 in Peoria, Ill. As a result of Friday’s outcomes, Creighton and Drake secured a Missouri Valley Conference tournament quarterfinal at 8 p.m. Thursday in Sokol Arena. The winner will play next Friday at 6 p.m. against Northern Iowa in a semifinal.

Creighton (12-16, 9-8)...............19 25 17 21

At Northern Iowa (27-2, 17-0)........................25 21 25 25

CU (kills-aces-blocks): Greisch 0-0-0, Thorson 3-0-5, Oelke 12-0-1, Bober 5-0-6, Houts 9-0-7, Schulze 8-0-2, Benitez 0-1-0, Runge 14-0-3, Boggs 0-0-0, Almgren 0-0-0.

UNI (kills-aces-blocks): Payton 4-0-0, Braun 6-0-0, Aschoff 20-0-0, Burow 20-0-2, Discher 10-0-2, DeGeest 8-0-1, Blankenship 0-1-0, Saunders 0-0-0, Burke 0-0-0.

Set assists: CU 49 (Bober 41, Houts 2, Benitez 2, Oelke 1, Schulze 1, Boggs 1, Almgren 1); UNI 60 (Payton 47, Discher 4, Aschoff 3, Braun 2, Blankenship 2, DeGeest 1, Burke 1). A: 1,075.

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