NORMAL, Illinois - University of Northern Iowa junior middle hitter Piper Thomas put on a show with a pair of career highs in kills (28) and blocks (10) in leading the Panthers to a 3-1 victory over the Illinois State Redbirds in the semifinals of the 2017 Missouri Valley Conference Volleyball Tournament.
UNI (26-7 overall) won by set scores of 25-20, 24-26, 25-22, 25-15. Illinois State falls to 21-12 overall. The Panthers advance to the MVC tournament championship for the 23rd time in program history - and the first since 2014.