SIOUX FALLS - Dominating the first two sets, University of Sioux Falls Volleyball notched their fifth win in the last six matches, taking down Upper Iowa University, 3-1 (25-13, 25-9, 21-25, 25-19), on Saturday afternoon. The Cougars improve to 11-6 overall with a 5-4 record in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
 
Behind the four-headed attack of Bria Barfnecht, Makenna Rockeman, Lexi Scott and Jordan Calef, the Cougars rolled to two big wins in the opening two sets. Barfnecht drilled 15 kills without an error in the match and Rockeman posted a match-high 16 kills while Scott added 14 and Calef finished with 10 and just one error.
 
With the Cougars holding a three-point lead, Rockeman connected on three kills and combined with Jordan Calef for a block to put USF up six. Calef added a another kill and Barfnecht, Scott and KaSandra Springer blocked a UIU attack for a nine-point lead. After a ball-handling error, the Cougars won seven of the final eight points with Scott recording three kills in that span. In the first set, USF hit .533 with a total of 18 kills.
 
Sioux Falls wasted no time in the second set using four- and seven-point runs to build a big lead and roll to a 25-9 second-set victory. Rockeman drilled three kills to open the set and Megan Hamstad led a seven-point run shortly after to put the Cougars up 12-3. The USF defense posted four of their 11 blocks in the second set and held UIU to three kills with 11 errors. Setter Sydney Schaap had one of her career-high four kills to give USF a set point and Rockeman converted.
 
After two big victories, the Cougars were sluggish coming out of the intermission and Upper Iowa capitalized. Barfnecht hit seven of her 15 kills in the third set, but the Cougars couldn't counteract the Peacocks' attack that broke an 18-18 tie and closed on a 7-3 run for a 25-21 win.
 
Looking to end the match, USF again dominated the fourth set, connecting on 19 kills at a .484 attack percentage.  Barfnecht added four more kills in the final set and Scott drilled five more. Calef was big in the final stages with three kills to help USF hold their lead. Along with Janelle Lam's service ace Scott connected on three kills for the final four Cougar points and a 25-19, match-clinching win.
 
The Cougars head to the road next week, heading to Minnesota State and Concordia-St. Paul on Oct. 14 and 15.