Creighton University
Northern Iowa
Volleyball Comeback Stuns UNI, 3-2
9/21/2007 10:30:00 PM | Volleyball
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Abby Baumann had a career-high 24 kills as Creighton overcame a 2-0 deficit to beat Northern Iowa in five games on Friday. Scores of the match were 25-30, 24-30, 31-29, 30-26, 15-12. Not only did the Jays overcome a 10-4 deficit in game five, but they also became the first team in history to come back from a 2-0 deficit to win at UNI.
Baumann, who entered the match with 20 kills all season, had the best match of her career. She tallied 24 kills and 11 digs on .365 hitting. Five of her kills came in the fifth game, including back-to-back winners that snapped a 12-12 tie in the fifth game. The Jays would win the match on a UNI attack error, just their second win ever in 30 all-time meetings with the Panthers.
After UNI won the first two games, Creighton controlled much of games three and four. CU had a 29-25 lead late in game three before UNI held four game points. The Jays answered with kills from Sarah Schulze and Allie Oelke to take the third game, 31-29.
CU led by as many as nine throughout the fourth game. The Jays forced the fifth game when Korie Lebeda won a joust at the net as CU won 30-26.
In the fifth game, UNI led 5-4 before a five-point spurt gave them a seemingly unsurmountable 10-4 lead. With Lebeda serving, CU closed the gap thanks to three consecutive UNI attack errors. After a kill from Omaha native and UNI senior Danielle Brazda made it 11-7. Carolyn Decker then served the Jays on a five-point flurry of their own. A kill by CU's Lauren Bloemke tied it at 11-11, and CU took the lead at 12-11 on a ball handling error by UNI setter Kristin Belzung.
Though UNI tied it at 12 on a kill by Brazda, consecutive kills from Baumann followed by an attack error by UNI's Shannon Aschoff ended the match.
Creighton (8-5, 2-0 MVC) was led by 24 kills from Baumann, who chipped in 11 digs for her first double-double of the year. Allie Oelke had 16 kills and 17 digs for the double-double, while Bloemke and Kelly Goc each had 13 kills. Lebeda also had a double-double with 60 assists and 15 digs. Bianca Rivera led the defense with 24 digs.
UNI (6-7, 1-2 MVC) was paced by 17 kills from Amy Sampson. Laura Rowen had 15 kills, but 11 of those came in game one. Also in double-digits were Ashten Stelken (11 kills, 12 blocks) and Brazda (12 kills). UNI's Ellie Blankenship had 27 digs to lead all players.
Creighton returns to action on Saturday at 7 pm with a match at Bradley.
