OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Follow along for updates as Creighton and Northern Iowa compete for a spot in the round of 16 in the NCAA Volleyball Tournament.
SET FOUR:
25-21 Creighton: After Northern Iowa fought off two match points, the Jays win the match 3-1 to move on to the round of 16.
20-18 Creighton: The Jays are the first to 20 in the fourth set on a block by Annalea Maeder and Eloise Brandewie.
18-17 Creighton: Northern Iowa has cut the deficit to one after a 3-0 run (two kills, one CU error). The Jays call their final timeout of the set; both teams now have zero remaining.
18-14 Creighton: After CU went up 17-9, Northern Iowa went on a 5-1 run, forcing the Jays to call their first timeout of the set. Both teams spreading the wealth when it comes to swings and kills.
14-9 Creighton: Northern Iowa calls its second (and final) timeout of the set after a massive kill from Jaya Johnson. She has 11 in the match so far, one of four Jays in double digits in that category.
9-6 Creighton: It's been decently back-and-forth so far. Since the last update, Ava Martin notched two kills, while Annalea Maeder and Kiara Reinhardt each tallied one. Northern Iowa calls its first timeout of the set.
5-5 tied: Both teams have been on three-point runs in this stretch. It looks like we're in for another exciting set in downtown Omaha.
SET THREE:
25-22 Creighton: A service error by Northern Iowa gives the Jays a 2-1 lead in the match. Can CU win it in four?
24-21 Creighton: The Jays get two huge blocks from Jaya Johnson (Eloise Brandewie assisted on one of them) to force set point.
21-21 tie: Sydney Breissinger serves an ace for the Jays to tie it. Both teams have used all of their timeouts for the set at this point.
20-19 Northern Iowa: The Panthers are the first to 20 in set three, and a service error cut the lead to one.
16-15 Creighton: Make that FOUR kills in a row for Martin as the Jays regain the lead. The last time they led in the set was 3-2.
15-15 tied: Creighton's Ava Martin rattles off THREE kills in a row to tie it up.
14-11 Northern Iowa: Creighton responds with a 3-0 run, including a Jaya Johnson kill, and combined blocks from Annalea Maeder and Eloise Brandewie, and Abbey Hayes and Brandewie.
14-8 Northern Iowa: Creighton burns its final timeout of the set after the Panthers go on a 4-0 run.
10-6 Northern Iowa: The Panthers jumped ahead early, capitalizing on their own attacks and benefiting from Creighton errors. The Jays called a timeout to regroup, hoping to avoid going down two sets to one like they did on Thursday.
SET TWO:
25-23 Northern Iowa: The Panthers win set two on a kill by Lily Dykstra. She leads UNI with 13 kills in two sets. Elkhorn North grad Reese Booth has 13 assists so far. We're going to at least four sets at D.J. Sokol Arena.
23-21 Northern Iowa: Creighton calls timeout after a kill by the Panthers' Cassidy Hartman. NOTE - both teams played five-setters Thursday night, so we'll see how much fatigue is a factor if this does not end in a sweep.
20-20 tied: CU served an ace to knot the set at 20.
20-18 Northern Iowa: Creighton has kept it tight, but the Panthers have been able to find a way to hold the lead.
11-10 Northern Iowa: Creighton goes on a 7-1 run to get within a point. The Jays took advantage of two attack errors and two service errors by the Panthers. Kiara Reinhardt, Jaya Johnson and Ava Martin each had a kill in the run.
8-3 Northern Iowa: The Panthers are using the Creighton block to their advantage, forcing a Jays timeout.
5-2 Northern Iowa: The Panthers went on a 4-0 run before a service error got the Jays within three.
SET ONE:
25-18 Creighton: CU wins the first set on a kill by Abbey Hayes. She led the Jays in the set with five kills, followed by Kiara Reinhardt with four.
20-12 Creighton: The Jays are the first to 20, a crucial score in a volleyball match. CU has gone on a couple of small runs to gradually build the lead.
