MACOMB, Ill. - Sophomore Amy Sauerwein (Belleville, Ill./Belleville Althoff Catholic) notched her team-high 16th double-double of the season and freshman Sarah Trimpe (Normal, Ill./Normal Community) collected her 11th in Western?s 3-1 (26-30, 30-21, 27-30, 16-30) loss to Northern Iowa Tuesday evening. The match marked Western?s home finale of a school-record 15 matches played in Macomb this season where the squad finished 8-7.Sophomore Ashley Baker (Fort Wayne, Ind./Effingham [Ill.]) tallied six kills in game one, but it wasn?t enough for Western (17-13, 11-3 Mid-Con) to overcome a 30-26 Northern Iowa victory. UNI built a solid 26-18 lead, but Western came within two points at 28-26 after an 8-2 rally. Western?s comeback was then cut short on back-to-back Panther kills. Northern Iowa hit a match-high .400 to Western?s .235, and collected 21 kills to the Purple and Gold?s 17.Game two was more in Western?s favor with the help of six kills from Sauerwein. Western climbed to a 24-19 lead and then held Northern Iowa to just two more points as it clinched the game 30-21. Left side Monique Houston (Wheeling, Ill./Wheeling) led Western behind the line in its final four points that included two of the freshman?s career-high four aces. Western out-hit UNI .293 to .143 in the game and allowed the Panthers 14 kills to its 16.Western and Northern Iowa fought back and forth in a game three that saw two tied scores and as many lead changes. Western jumped out early to a 9-3 lead before the Panthers inched within two at 15-13. The two teams knotted the score at 17-all before Northern Iowa jumped on top at 21-19. A five-point Western rally brought the game within two at 29-27, but the Panthers claimed their second game win of the night on a Trista Humpal kill.Northern Iowa (18-10, 11-5 Missouri Valley) clinched the match with a 30-16 game four win. Western hit -.065 on nine kills and 12 errors, and UNI tallied 15 kills and five errors while hitting .238.Overall, the Panthers held Western to a .155 hitting percentage on 57 kills and 27 errors. Northern Iowa posted 68 kills with 23 errors for a .246 average. The Panthers also topped Western in assists (63-56), digs (92-78) and blocks (9-3).?We played three games of very good volleyball, but unfortunately, we finished the match with a disappointing game four,? said fourth-year head coach Kym McKay. ?We?re fortunate that our season continues into this weekend, and we are going to take the good and the bad experiences from tonight to improve us and prepare us for the Mid-Con semifinals Saturday night.?Baker led Western?s offense with 14 kills and eight assists, and Sauerwein added 13 kills and 25 digs. Sophomore Mary Olson (Elkhart, Ill./Mt. Pulaski) notched 12 kills in Western?s effort, and senior Jenna Yurs recorded eight kills and three blocks. Trimpe?s double-double came on 49 assists and 10 digs. Junior Jennifer Alexander posted her 12th 20+ dig match of the season with 23.Lauren Rowen led Northern Iowa with 17 kills and 21 digs. Humpal added 13 kills, and Stephanie Germann and Danielle Brazda each had 12. Kristin Belzung had 59 assists for the Panthers, and Humpal led the team with six blocks.?Once again, the band added an exciting element of school spirit to the crowd on senior night, and we look forward to this same environment returning to Western Hall in 2006,? McKay added.Western will hit the court again this weekend at Valparaiso when it takes on No. 2 Oral Roberts in the semifinal match of the Mid-Con Tourney Saturday night. First serve is slated for 5 p.m.