KALAMAZOO, Mich. – In the season opener of the 2023 campaign, Villanova volleyball picked up a dramatic five-set victory (20-25, 25-20, 15-25, 25-20, 19-17) over Northern Iowa in the opener of the Western Michigan Tournament.
"That's a big time win for us," head coach Josh Steinbach said. "Northern Iowa is a nationally recognized program, and for us to win that in our first game of the year is a big deal for us."
Facing a UNI team that reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament last year, the Wildcats needed contributions up and down the lineup and that's what they got.
Skylar Gerhardt led the way for Villanova (1-0) with a double-double of 18 kills and 13 digs. In her collegiate debut, freshman hitter Abby Harrell totaled 16 kills with seven digs.
Madeline Barber contributed 10 kills on a .500 hitting percentage with three blocks, Andrea Campos put up a game-high 52 assists and Elizabeth Feczko added 17 digs.
It was a well-balanced attack from the Wildcats in the opening stanza with five players totaling two kills or more, led by four from Harrell on just 10 swings. After UNI jumped out to an 8-3 lead, Villanova got it back to 12-10 but never got back within that number as the Panthers took the frame 25-20.
VU hopped out to advantages of 4-1 and 6-2 to open the second set but Northern Iowa stormed back to make it an 8-6 score. After UNI led by as many as four, the 'Cats snatched back momentum with a 10-3 run to take a three-point edge. Villanova kept the pressure on the Panthers, continuing to a 25-20 set win.
Northern Iowa established a two-point edge through the first 20 points of the third frame, then put some distance between themselves and the Wildcats with an 8-1 run before charging on to a 25-15 victory.
It was a game of runs in the fourth set, as Villanova began the fourth with a 9-3 advantage by using two separate 3-0 stretches to establish a lead. With the Wildcats leading 13-7, it was a four-point UNI run to bring the set within two.
An ensuing timeout from Steinbach worked wonders, as VU recaptured a six-point edge and carried that momentum to a 25-20 win to force a fifth set.
The 'Cats kept up their effort in the decisive frame, using kills from four different players to establish an 8-4 lead. After the teams swapped sides, Villanova secured a four-point advantage before UNI's second timeout and moved all the way to a 14-8 lead.
But the Panthers were not finished yet, staving off seven straight match points and even securing a 16-15 lead.
The Wildcats got a termination from Gerhardt to tie the score, then a block by Kiera Booth and Campos brought VU ahead again. After a UNI kill, the Panthers stacked a service error and attack error, delivering the 'Cats their first victory of the season.
The win brings the all-time series to a tie, as Northern Iowa took the only other contest historically between the two programs.
UP NEXT: The Wildcats will play in their second game of the weekend on Saturday afternoon, taking on Milwaukee at 4 p.m. from University Arena.
