SIOUX FALLS- The University of Sioux Falls volleyball team went down to the wire against No. 22 Upper Iowa on Saturday. The Peacocks were able to squeeze out of the Stewart Center with a narrow, nail-biting, five-set thriller (21-25, 21-25, 25-19, 25-22, 14-16) victory.

Senior KaSandra Springer had herself a night, recording a double-double (18K-19 digs). Senior Abby Feyereisen led the Cougars with her .486 hitting percentage (20K-3E-35TA) and 20 kills. Feyereisen also recorded four blocks (three assisted, one solo) Senior Allie Maloney recorded a team-high 29 digs, while junior Krista Goerger paced the offense with 53 assists.

Both teams were an equal matchup statistically, with the Cougars having the slight .220-to-.212 hitting percentage advantage. The equal stats continued with a 65-61 kill tilt and 8-to-5 service ace advantage for the Cougars.

The Cougars will look continue in their grind of ranked opponents when they go on the road next weekend to Minnesota State and Concordia-St. Paul.

The Peacocks set the pace of the match, jumping ahead to a 5-3 lead in the first set. The Cougars turned the pace of the match in their favor, running the tables with a 7-1 run. Down 20-18 to the Cougars, the Peacocks were capable to turn the match around, going on their own 7-1 run to win the set.

Much like the first set, the Peacocks had a strong start to the second set, beginning the set with a 10-3 run. The Peacocks were able to keep the pace going, as the Cougars were plagued with a total of six service errors in the set.

The Cougars were able to turn things around in the third set, as freshman Nicole Jacobson recorded a kill that tied the match at nine, and more importantly for the Cougars, started a crucial 9-3 run that gave the Cougars the room needed to fight to a fourth set.

A fight is exactly what the Cougars got in the fourth set, with bot teams vying for the lead for nearly the whole set. A bad set by the Peacocks tied the game 21-21, and it was at this point that the Cougars took control. After the bad set, the Cougars allowed only one more point to the Peacocks, while a trio of Peacock attack errors and a kill by sophomore Kenzie Byers gave the Cougars the fourth set victory and forced a decisive fifth set.

The Cougars, in front of an electrified crowd at the Stewart Center, went toe-to-toe with the Peacocks all the way to an 11-11 tie. The Peacocks finally got some distance, in thee moment, with two straight points and only two points away from the match victory. The Cougars were able to liven up the match with a crucial 3-0 run that included a duo of Springer kills and a service ace by freshman Marlee Schneider. Now with a 14-13 lead, the Cougars looked to complete the comeback, but for naught as the Peacocks returned with their own 3-0 run to earn a road win against the Cougars.