No. 18 Marquette Tops rv Northern Iowa, 3-1 on the Road

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa- Sophomore Allie Barber led the way with 19 kills as the 18^th-ranked Marquette volleyball team hot the road for a late non-conference match and earned a quality win at RV Northern Iowa, 3-1 (20-25, 25-20, 25-16, 26-24) on Sunday afternoon.

The Golden Eagles fell in the first set, which snapped a 24 consecutive set winning streak for Marquette (19-4), but MU snapped a streak of its own as Northern Iowa (16-7) had a 10-match winning streak prior to the match.

Barber's 19 kills, along with a sixth double-double (10 kills, 14 digs) from senior Anna Haak paved the way in a match that saw both teams produce low hitting numbers.

Sophomores Hope Werch and Martha Konovodoff each recorded 21 digs, which was a career-high for Werch. Junior Lauren Speckman and sophomore Sarah Rose dished out 29 and 21 assists, respectively.

Marquette hit just .089 in the first set, while the Panthers (16-7) hit .220 but reversed the roles in the second frame as the Golden Eagles hit .219. Barber, Haak and Werch each connected on four kills apiece, winning the third set with ease before a more back-and-forth fourth set that featured six lead changes and 12 tied scores. MU trailed 21-19, but was able to close out with a 7-3 run, which secured its ninth consecutive victory.

Karlie Taylor led Northern Iowa with a match-high 20 kills and 17 digs as the Panthers and Golden Eagles were meeting for the first time since the 2015 NCAA Tournament.

Marquette resumes BIG EAST play next weekend and will host No. 10 Creighton on Friday, Oct. 26 at 7 pm CT.