CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Kaycee O'Dell did it all for the North Dakota volleyball team on Friday night, leading the team with a career high 14 kills and assisting with a block that gave her 100 for her career; but it was not enough as Northern Illinois downed the Fighting Hawks 3-0 (25-17, 25-18, 25-19).

UND got off to a fast start as they won four of the first six points, all on kills. Three from Paige Barber and one from O'Dell. But NIU responded with a 5-0 run and from there the Hawks were unable to catch back up in the rest of the set. Down 24-12 at the end of the set, UND reeled off five straight with back-to-back kills from Marissa Stockman, an ace from Elizabeth Norris and back-to-back kills from Lauren Perugini. But NIU had too wide a lead to overcome.

In the second set, a 4-0 run gave UND a 6-4 lead early on but from there a 7-2 stretch from NIU gave them an 11-8 lead. Later an ace from Perugini drew UND within one at 12-11, but the Hawks could get no closer the rest of the frame.

The Fighting Hawks found themselves down 9-3 to start the third set, but a 6-2 run with two kills from McCallister Gayle, one from Maddie Lipetzky and three from O'Dell brought UND back within two at 11-9. But NIU would answer with a 6-1 run and keep the Hawks at arms length the rest of the match as UND got no closer than four the rest of the way.

Postgame Notes

·         Izzie McCormick and Lauren Perugini tied for the team lead with ten digs

·         Perugini, Norris and Skylar Darr each picked up an ace in the match

·         Norris got at least one ace for the second straight match and third time in the last four matches

·         Timperley recorded her tenth straight match with double digit assists with 16, while Norris led the team with 18

·         NIU hit .395 in the match, the highest percentage allowed by UND since November 17 of last season when South Dakota State hit .444

How it Happened

First set: NIU 25, UND 17

Second set: NIU 25, UND 18

Third set: NIU 25, UND 19