Sept. 18, 2001

Box Score

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - 23rd-ranked Northern Iowa scored the final three points of the deciding fifth game to claim a stirring 30-15, 27-30, 34-32, 29-31, 15-12 win over UWM Tuesday night.

UNI (9-0) barely kept alive its nation's-best 37-match homecourt winning streak while being pushed to a fifth game at home for the first time since 1998.

Laura Dallenbach, who played high school volleyball in nearby Waterloo, Iowa, led UWM with 22 kills and 19 digs. Julie Yankus added 15 kills, Chrissy Schurla 14 and Robin Alt a career-high 10. Molly O'Brien led UNI with a career-high 22 kills.

"Frankly, this was the best we've played all year," UWM coach Kathy Litzau said. "It's a loss, but I look at it as a win, because now we know the level we can play at. There was a spirit in this team tonight I haven't seen in the last two weeks."

In the deciding fifth game, UNI held a 7-4 lead before UWM (3-4) rallied to tie the game at nine on an Alt kill. The game was also tied at 11 and 12 before UNI used a UWM error, a block on a kill attempt by Dallenbach and an O'Brien kill to secure the win.

With the match tied at a game apiece, UWM appeared to have UNI on the ropes by claiming a 29-26 advantage in game three. But, UNI overcame all three of the ensuing game points - plus an additional game point when UWM regained a 30-29 advantage - to win the game, 34-32.

UWM again gained control in game four, building an 18-9 advantage. Another UNI comeback nearly ended the match, as Northern Iowa tied the match at 27, 28 and 29. But, a Schurla kill followed by a Carly Allison block gave UWM the game-four victory, forcing the deciding fifth game.

UWM played without middle blocker Larissa Cattanach, who was injured in practice. Cattanach is scheduled for further examination and a timetable for her return is uncertain. Allison filled in as the middle blocker, recording seven kills and six blocks.

"I really commend Carly," Litzau said. "This is the first time she's had to play a full match for us. The fire in her eyes was awesome."

The teams split the first two games. In game one, UNI broke free from a 3-3 tie to easily claim game one. At one juncture, UNI scored 11 straight points to turn a 9-6 game into a 20-6 contest. During that stretch, UNI scored three straight points on aces by Miranda Weber. Game two saw Milwaukee rally from an early 13-8 deficit to claim the win. In fact, UWM scored 11 of the next 13 points to build a 19-15 advantage. UNI rallied to tie the score at 23, 24 and 25, but UWM closed out the game on an Alt kill. Dallenbach and Yankus recorded five kills apiece in the game for UWM.

UWM returns to action Friday evening, opening Horizon League play in Chicago. The Panthers face UIC Friday at 7 p.m. and Loyola Saturday at 4 p.m.