CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – Freshman Erica Haslag (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias Catholic) had  team-high eight kills and senior Lea Sack (Lincoln, Neb./Pius X) notched a match-high 20 digs, but Bradley opened the final road swing of the 2015 season with a 25-14, 25-18, 25-23 loss at Northern Iowa Friday in Missouri Valley Conference volleyball action.

Haslag's eight kills moved her season total among the top four in school history by a Bradley freshman as she raised her team-best season kill total to 286.  Sack led Bradley's defensive efforts with 20 digs for her 10th 20-dig outing of the season.  Her season total of 483 digs is now sixth among Bradley marks and she moved into a tie with Samantha Hardwick for fifth on Bradley's career digs list with 1,329. 

Sack will enter the final match of her Bradley career Saturday at Drake needing 18 digs to move into the three in program history and she is just 17 digs from posting the fifth 500-dig season at Bradley. 

Northern Iowa (17-13 overall, 11-6 MVC) got off to a hot start, hitting .556 in the first set and cruised to a 25-14 victory in the opener behind six first-set kills by Kayla Haneline.

Junior Kelsey Cave (Solon, Iowa/Solon) pulled Bradley within one point at 11-10 in the second set with one of her six kills on the night.  Northern Iowa answered with four consecutive points, however, as part of a 6-2 Panthers' spurt which put UNI out in front 17-12.  The Braves clawed back within three points at 18-15, but Haneline had back-to-back kills to start a 5-1 Northern Iowa spurt and the Panthers went to take the frame 25-18. 

Bradley battled from behind throughout the third set after trailing by as many as six points early on to pull even with Northern Iowa at 23-23 on back-to-back kills by freshman Allison Turner (Wildwood, Mo./Lafayette).  Piper Thomas gave UNI a 24-23 advantage with a kill and Haneline followed with her 12th kill of the contest to close out a 25-23 UNI win.  Turner had all five of her kills in the third set to lead the Braves.

Northern Iowa owned a 62-43 advantage in digs in the match with four Panthers reaching double figures.  Haneline tied for match-high honors with her 12 kills and attacked at a .556 clip.  Amie Held matched her with 12 kills and also added 10 digs for a double-double. 

Bradley closes out the 2015 season Saturday with a 3 p.m. match at Drake, which will be available on ESPN3.