CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – The Drake volleyball team saw its nine-game winning streak come to an end on Tuesday night as it fell to in-state rival UNI from the McLeod Center, 3-1.
 
In the early goings of the first set, the Bulldogs grabbed the lead over the Panthers and went up by four at the 10-6 mark after a kill from Kacia Brown. However, UNI had an immediate response and quickly tied the frame back up at 10-10 with a 4-0 run. After trading points back-and-forth, Drake used a 4-0 run of its own to push ahead of UNI, 17-13, getting a pair of kills from Macy Daufeldt during that stretch. The Bulldogs seized the momentum from there and went on to win five of the final six points and took an early lead over the in-state rivals, 25-18.
 
The second set saw UNI jump ahead, 11-5, as the Panthers used a couple of 4-0 scoring spurts to force an early timeout from the Drake bench. When play resumed, the Panthers lead eventually reached double-digits at the 18-8 mark, but Drake fought back with a 3-0 run, highlighted by an Emaline Handzel ace, to cut into the deficit. That was as close as the Bulldogs would get with UNI ultimately taking the set, 25-15.
 
The third set was a back-and-forth battle throughout with each side countering one another. After UNI went ahead 8-6 following a scoring run, Drake matched right back and took an 11-10 lead due to a string of attack errors on the Panthers. At the media timeout, the Bulldogs maintained their lead, 15-13, with a big time combo block by Aniyah Davis and Caroline Smith. Moments later, however, the Panthers went on another scoring run to retake the lead from Drake, 20-19. Down the stretch the scene was full of trading points until the 25-25 mark after Daufeldt brought it even with a kill. UNI then took the following two points on back-to-back kills from Lily Dykstra and Maryn Bixby to win the set, 27-25.

After the fourth set went even at 5-5, the Panthers distanced themselves from the Bulldogs recording three consecutive blocks. Drake then used a timeout to regroup following the defensive surge from UNI and pulled back within a point just over the halfway mark off back-to-back kills from Smith and Brown. The Panthers biggest run of the night unfortunately came shortly after, however, and six-straight points gave them the 20-13 edge. A few points later, UNI secured the set and the match with a Cassidy Hartman kill.
 
"Proud of our team tonight," Drake head coach Darrin McBroom said. "They played a strong match against a perennial power. UNI is always tough, especially at home. Our team came out strong, but UNI slowly wore us down. We'll get back in the gym and try to get a little better."
 
Daufeldt tallied another double-double to her ledger this season leading the Bulldogs with 15 kills and 20 digs on the night. The senior added five blocks to her stat line as well. Brown also went for a double-double with 12 kills and 11 digs. In other areas, Katie Quick totaled 25 assists and 13 digs. Senior setter Addison Beagle meanwhile went over the 4,000 career assists mark recording 22 helpers on the night.
 
Drake takes to the court for its final home game of the regular season this Saturday versus UIC. First serve with the Flames is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT from the Knapp Center.