UNI Faces Louisville in NCAA 1st Round Matchup

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This Week's Action
Fri., Dec. 1 -- Minneapolis, Minn., (Maturi Pavilion)
UNI vs. Louisville, 4:30 p.m. | VIDEO | AUDIO | STATS
North Dakota at #7 Minnesota, 7 p.m. | VIDEO | STATS

Sat., Dec. 2 -- Minneapolis, Minn., (Maturi Pavilion)
Match 1 winner vs. Match 2 winner, 8 p.m.

• The University of Northern Iowa volleyball team (26-8 overall, 15-3 MVC) will take on the Louisville Cardinals (24-6 overall, 18-2 ACC) in the 2017 NCAA Tournament Friday at 4:30 p.m. (CT) at the Maturi Pavilion in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

• The winner of the UNI-Louisville match will face the winner of the North Dakota-Minnesota match on Saturday at 8 p.m.

• UNI recorded victories over five teams that made the NCAA's 64-team field. The Panthers scored wins over Missouri, Austin Peay, Southern California, Nebraska and Iowa State.

• UNI is making its 21st appearance and its fifth time as an at-large selection (2008, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017) in the NCAA Tournament.

• UNI has posted 14 wins in the NCAA Tournament and has advanced to at least the second round 11 times.

• The Panthers have made three Sweet 16 appearances (1999, 2001, 2002).

• UNI senior Heather Hook was named the Missouri Valley Conference's Setter of the Year.

• UNI is ranked No. 1 in the nation in kills per set (15.28).

PANTHERS CLAIM 21ST NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCE
For the third straight season the University of Northern Iowa volleyball team has earned an at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament.
   UNI (26-8 overall, 15-3 MVC) will take on the Louisville Cardinals (24-6 overall, 18-2 ACC) Friday at 4:30 p.m. (CT) at the Maturi Pavilion in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The winner of the UNI-Louisville match will face the winner of the North Dakota-Minnesota match on Saturday at 8 p.m.
   The Panthers have posted 14 victories all-time in their previous 20 NCAA Tournament appearances. UNI has advanced to at least the second round 11 times. UNI has made three Sweet 16 appearances (1999, 2001, 2002).
   UNI's last NCAA appearance came in 2016 when the Panthers dropped a five-set thriller to Creighton in Lawrence, Kansas, in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
   For ticket information, call the UNI Ticket Office at 319-273-4849.

RADIO COVERAGE
Live radio coverage of the UNI Panther volleyball team can be found on www.UNIPanthers.com and KXEL (1540-AM). All audio will be free of charge.
   Chris Kleinhans-Schulz is in his sixth season as the play-by-play voice of Panther volleyball. Chris Mahi will serve as the analyst for home matches.

Live Audio Coverage Schedule
Fri., vs. Louisville - KXEL 1540-AM
Sat., NCAA 2nd Round - UNIPanthers.com

LIVE STREAM - MINNEAPOLIS SITE
UNI's NCAA Tournament match Friday vs. Louisville will be streamed live on the Minnesota Golden Gophers athletic site for free.

HEAD COACH BOBBI PETERSEN
Head coach Bobbi Petersen is in her 18th year as the Panthers head coach.
   Petersen has posted an impressive 460-140 record at the helm of UNI's program, with seven Missouri Valley Conference regular season titles, eight MVC tournament crowns and two NCAA Sweet 16 appearances to her credit. UNI has taken part in 13 NCAA Tournaments under Petersen's direction. She ranks No. 10 of active Division I coaches in winning percentage (.767).
   Petersen is one of four MVC coaches to have eclipsed the 400-win mark joining Linda Dollar (758 - Missouri State), Iradge Ahrabi-Fard (503 - UNI) and Melissa Stokes (490 - Missouri State) in that elite class.

LOUISVILLE CARDINALS
Co-champions of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Louisville Cardinals will make their 26th NCAA Tournament appearance.
   The Cardinals have won 12 first round matches in their 25 years in NCAA play with four Sweet Sixteen appearances and an overall mark of 16-25 including one stretch of 16 straight appearances from 1998-2013.
   The Cards beat Belmont in 2015 before falling to Illinois in their last appearance.
   Louisville is one of six ACC teams in the dance, along with co-champion Pitt, Florida State, Notre Dame, Miami and NC State.

UNI VS. LOUISVILLE HISTORY
UNI holds a 3-0 lead in the all-time series vs. Louisville.
   The programs last met in 2013 in Fargo, N.D., for the NDSU Doublewood Inn Classic on Sept. 7. UNI scored a three-set win over No. 17-ranked Louisville (25-20, 26-24, 25-19).
   The other two matchups came on Sept. 11, 1987 (Boulder, Colorado), and Sept. 23, 1989 (St. Louis, Missouri), with the Panthers scoring 3-0 victories in both matches on neutral floors.

COMMON OPPONENT - KENTUCKY
UNI and Louisville shared one common opponent during the 2017 regular season in the Kentucky Wildcats.
   UNI lost a 3-2 match to Kentucky on Sept. 2 in Omaha.
   Louisville lost a 3-0 decision to Kentucky on Sept. 15 in Lexington.
UNI AGAINST THE FIELD
UNI's schedule was loaded with NCAA Tournament teams this season with the Panthers having faced eight teams in the field and having played 11 matches against those teams.
   UNI recorded victories over five teams that made the NCAA's 64-team field. The Panthers scored wins over Missouri, Austin Peay, Southern California, Nebraska and Iowa State.
   UNI also faced NCAA Tournament teams in Kentucky, Creighton and Missouri State (three times).

21ST TRIP TO THE NCAA TOURNEY
UNI is making its 21st appearance and its fifth time as an at-large selection (2008, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017) in the NCAA Tournament.
   UNI has posted 14 wins in the NCAA Tournament and has advanced to at least the second round 11 times.
   The Panthers have made three Sweet 16 appearances (1999, 2001, 2002).

BOBBI IN THE BIG DANCE
UNI head coach Bobbi Petersen has led the Panthers to 13 NCAA Tournament trips. UNI is 9-12 in NCAA tournament play under Petersen, including two trips to the Sweet 16 (2001, 2002).

TWO MVC TEAMS IN THE FIELD
For the 14th time in league history, at least two Missouri Valley Conference volleyball teams have been selected as part of the field of 64 to play for the 2017 NCAA national title.
   MVC regular season and tournament champion Missouri State will be joined by at-large selection UNI in the 2017 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship field.
   It is the 10th time in the last 12 years that the MVC has placed multiple teams into the NCAA tourney.
   Since 2007, The Valley has received 30 bids into the 64-team field, trailing only the Pac 12, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, ACC & West Coast Conferences.

UNI'S 4TH NCAA TRIP TO MINN.
This will mark the fourth NCAA Tournament trip for the Panthers to Minnesota. UNI was also sent to Minneapolis in 2003, 2008 and 2015.
   UNI won its opening round match in 2003 over UC Santa Barbara before falling to Minnesota in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
   In 2008, UNI dropped a matchup with Iowa State in the NCAA Tournament.
   UNI's last trip to Minneapolis came in 2015 when the Panthers suffered a five-set loss to Marquette in the NCAA first round.

PIPER'S UNMATCHED EFFORT
Piper Thomas had a match for the ages on Friday vs. Illinois State at the MVC Tournament.
   Thomas posted 28 kills with no errors (.596) to go along with 10 blocks in the four-set win over the Redbirds.
   Thomas is the only NCAA player this year to have posted at least 28 kills with zero attack errors.
   Her 28 kills tied for the seventh-most in MVC Tournament history and for the fourth-most in UNI's record book for four-set matches.

Kills in 4-Set Matches (All Scoring Formats)
1.   34, Maryellen McCann vs. Iowa (11/3/87)
2.   29, Kate Galer at Missouri State (10/30/93)
3.   29, Molly O'Brien vs. Creighton (9/21/02)
4.   28, Natalie Walters at MSU (10/30/93)
   28, Kate Galer at Drake (10/11/96)
   28, Molly O'Brien vs. Milwaukee (12/6/02)
   28, Piper Thomas vs. Illinois St. (11/24/17)

THOMAS, HOOK NAMED TO MVC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
UNI's Piper Thomas and Heather Hook each earned a spot on the All-Tournament team for the 2017 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
   Thomas tallied 36 kills (5.14 kills/set) and hit .447 with 16 total blocks in two matches.
   Hook dished out 85 assists (12.14/set) and added 25 digs (3.57/set) as the Panthers took second place.

CLOSING IN ON SOME TEAM
SINGLE-SEASON RECORDS
UNI's 2017 season is going to be one for the record books as the Panthers are leaving their mark on this campaign.
   UNI has 2,435 digs in 2017 and needs only 27 digs to tie the single-season school record of 2,462 digs set in the 1987 season.
   UNI's average of 19.64 digs per set already ranks as the best season in school history. The previous best digs per set mark was 19.06 in 2007.
   The Panthers have taken 5,072 attack attempts in 2017 and need to register 59 more attacks to equal the previous record of 5,131 set in 2015.

Where UNI Ranks on Single-Season Charts
Attack Attempts - No. 2 (5,072)
School Record - 5,131 in 2015

Digs - No. 2 (2,435)
School Record - 2,462 in 1987

Assists - No. 4 (1,761)
School Record - 1,961 in 2002
Service Reception % - No. 5 (.960)
School Record - .971 in 2009

Kills - No. 7 (1,895)
School Record - 2,175 in 2002

Service Attempts - No. 7 (2,882)
School Record - 3,486 in 2006

Sets Played - T-No. 7 (124)
School Record - 138 in 1987

Matches Played - T-No. 7 (34)
School Record - 41 in 1983

AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
UNI is ranked No. 1 in the nation in kills per set (15.28).
   The Panthers rank No. 2 in the nation in digs per set (19.64), assists per set (14.20), team assists (1,761), team kills (1,895) and team attacks per set (40.90).
   The Panthers are ranked No. 3 in the nation in team digs (2,435) and total team attacks (5,072).

THREE MVC TEAMS IN RPI TOP 100
The Missouri Valley Conference is represented by three teams in the NCAA's RPI top 100 with Missouri State (No. 36), UNI (No. 42) and Illinois State (No. 88).
   UNI has seven top-100 RPI wins this season (No. 6 Nebraska, No. 11 USC, No. 13 Iowa State, No. 34 Missouri, No. 58 Austin Peay, No. 88 Illinois State - twice).

UNI AGAINST RPI TOP 25
UNI is one of 23 teams to have recorded at least three wins against the NCAA RPI top 25 teams.
   Among those 22 teams, only 11 have a winning record against the NCAA RPI top 25 - including UNI with a 3-2 mark.
   UNI's RPI top 25 wins have come against No. 6 Nebraska (3-1), No. 11 USC (3-1) and No. 15 Iowa State (3-2).

3 or More Wins vs NCAA RPI Top 25
1.   Penn State   9-1
2.   Florida   3-1
3.   Kentucky   4-3
4.   Texas   8-2
5.   Stanford   9-3
6.   Nebraska   9-3
7.   Minnesota   7-3
8.   Washington   9-5
9.   Utah   6-8
10. Creighton   3-4
11. USC   7-6
12. Baylor   4-3
13. Iowa State   3-5
17. UCLA   5-9
19. Kansas   4-5
22. Oregon   5-9
23. Michigan State   3-5
24. Colorado   4-8
25. Purdue   4-5
29. Michigan   3-7
31. Oregon State   3-10
38. Washington St.   3-12
42. UNI   3-2

UNI HAS FOUR WINS OVER RANKED FOES IN 2017
UNI is 4-2 against ranked foes in 2017 with wins over No. 10 Nebraska, No. 18 USC, No. 19 Iowa State and No. 19 Missouri.
   With its next win against a ranked opponent, it would equal the school record for victories over ranked teams in a single season.
   UNI defeated five ranked opponents in 2002 (No. 8 Pepperdine, No. 7 UCLA, No. 20 Minnesota, No. 3 Florida, No. 20 Missouri) and three ranked teams in 2003 (No. 11 Notre Dame, No. 23 Missouri State, No. 20 UC Santa Barbara).

HOOK NAMED SETTER OF YEAR
UNI senior Heather Hook was named the Missouri Valley Conference's Setter of the Year.
   Hook ranks No. 3 in the nation in total assists (1,451) and she is tops in the MVC in assists per set (11.70). Hook is one of six UNI Panthers all-time to have eclipsed the 4,000-assist mark in her career. This season, Hook has 10 50-plus assist matches including a career-high 64 assists in a 3-2 win over No. 19 Missouri on Aug. 26.
   Hook earned first-team All-MVC honors in 2017 after securing second team All-MVC status in 2016.

UNI WITH FOUR FIRST-TEAM ALL-MVC SELECTIONS
UNI's four first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference selections include senior setter Heather Hook (Grundy Center, Iowa), sophomore outside hitter Karlie Taylor (Eddyville, Iowa), junior middle hitter Piper Thomas (Jesup, Iowa) and junior outside hitter Bri Weber (Dike, Iowa).
   It marks the first time since 2011 that UNI has had four members of the All-MVC First Team.
   UNI hasproduced 52 first-team All-MVC choices under the direction of 18th-year head coach Bobbi Petersen.

SEEHASE NAMED TO MVC ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Freshman Jaydlin Seehase earned a spot on the 2017 MVC All-Freshman Team.
   Seehase has played in all 124 sets this season as a true freshman. Seehase posted nine double-figure kill totals, including a season-high 12 kills against Valparaiso (Oct. 21) and vs. No. 19 Missouri (Aug. 26).
   Seehase has tallied 256 kills (2.06 kills/set) this season.

HOOK, THOMAS NAMED TO MVC SCHOLAR-ATHLETE TEAM
UNI senior Heather Hook and junior Piper Thomas have been honored as honorable mention members of the 2017 Missouri Valley Conference Volleyball Scholar-Athlete Team.

Heather Hook, UNI, Sr., S, 3.33, Finance/Economics/Real Estate
Ranks third in the nation in total assists (1,451) ... leads the MVC in assists/set (11.70) ... became the sixth UNI setter to reach 4,000 career assists ... only the 23rd MVC player to surpass 4,000 assists ... set a career-high with 64 assists in a five-set win over No. 19 Missouri ... has tallied 10 50-plus assist matches in 2017 ... set a career-high with eight kills in a five-set win over Valparaiso ... set a career-high with 23 assists in a five-set match vs. Illinois State ... has registered 11 double-doubles this season.

Piper Thomas, UNI, Jr., MH, 3.47, Movement & Exercise Science
Ranks first on the team in kills (495), blocks (114) and hitting percentage (.362) ... top hitter in MVC matches only (.403) ... ranks second in the league in MVC matches only in kills/set (4.28) ... has posted six 20-plus kill matches this season, including a career-high 28 kills (.596) and tied a career-high with 10 blocks in a four-set match at Illinois State in the MVC Tournament ... she has posted 20 kills in four-set matches on three occasions (20 vs. No. 18 USC; 20 vs. Missouri State; 28 at Illinois State) ... three-time MVC Player of the Week honoree in 2017.

YET ANOTHER 20-WIN SEASON
UNI has recorded the program's 35th 20-win season. UNI has won 20 or more matches in 19 of the last 20 seasons.
   It is the 16th 20-win season for Panther head coach Bobbi Petersen.

STREAKS OF NOTE
The Panthers have guaranteed the program will have a .500 or better record for the 37th consecutive season.
   UNI, Hawaii, Nebraska, Stanford, Penn State and UCLA lead the nation with 37 consecutive non-losing seasons in NCAA Division I volleyball.
   UNI has also posted 33 straight NCAA Division I winning seasons – the sixth-longest active streak in the nation behind Hawaii (37), Nebraska (37), Penn State (37), Stanford (37) and UCLA (35).

TOP HITTER IN THE VALLEY
Junior Piper Thomas leads the Missouri Valley Conference in hitting percentage (.362).
   She also topped the league in hitting percentage (.403) in MVC matches only.

HOOK HEADS THE LIST
Senior setter Heather Hook leads the MVC in assists/set by a wide margin - 0.65 assists/set.
   Hook has an even wider lead when considering only Missouri Valley Conference matches - 0.85 assists/set.
   Hook is averaging 11.70 assists/set (12.26 in MVC play), while Illinois State's Stef Jankiewicz ranks second in the league at 11.05 assists/set (11.41 in MVC play).

WHO DO YOU STOP?
UNI's offense features three of the top-10 kill leaders in the Missouri Valley Conference.
   Junior Piper Thomas ranks No. 3 in the league in kills per set (3.99). Sophomore Karlie Taylor ranks No. 5 in the MVC in kills per set (3.83). Junior Bri Weber ranks No. 8 in the conference in kills per set (3.27).
   The trio also ranks in the top-10 in points per set. Thomas is No. 4 (4.62), Taylor is No. 5 (4.26) and Bri Weber is No. 6 (3.76) in points per set.

PIPER, KARLIE TAKE SPOTS ON
SINGLE-SEASON TOP-10 KILLS LIST
Junior Piper Thomas has posted 495 kills this season to rank as the seventh-best single-season total in program history.
   Sophomore Karlie Taylor has joined the list at No. 10 with 475 kills in 2017.

UNI's Single-Season Kills Chart
1.   Molly O'Brien (2002)       595
2.   Kate Galer (1996)       535
3.   Bobbi Becker (1989)       534
4.   Kim Kester (2002)       521
5.   Kerri Eich (1997)       501
6.   Denise Cuttell (1990)       497
7.   Piper Thomas (2017)       495
8.   Maryellen McCann (1987)   494
9.   Kim Kester (2001)       479
10.   Molly O'Brien (2001)       475
   Karlie Taylor (2017)       475

THOMAS JOINS SINGLE-SEASON POINTS SCORED CHART
Junior Piper Thomas has scored 573 points this season to rank as the ninth-best single-season total in UNI program history.

UNI's Single-Season Points Scored Chart
1.   Molly O'Brien (2002)       702.0
2.   Bobbi Becker (1989)       635.5
3.   Kim Kester (2002)       613.0
4.   Denise Cuttell (1990)       612.5
5.   Kate Galer (1996)       599.0
   Molly O'Brien (2003)       599.0
7.   Molly O'Brien (2001)       594.0
8.   Maryellen McCann (1987)   584.0
9.   Piper Thomas (2017)       573.0
10.   Laura Rowen (2006)       572.5

THOMAS ADDS HER NAME TO
SINGLE-SEASON BLOCKS LIST
Junior Piper Thomas has registered
28 solo blocks in 2017 to tie for the eighth-best single-season in Panther history.

UNI's Single-Season Blocks Chart
1.   Michelle Schaab (1983)   48
2.   Carrie Shurr (1993)       36
3.   Kari Warren (1986)       35
4.   Tricia Mills (1993)       30
   Tina Parkin (1995)       30
   Jane Witt (1983)       30
7.   Lisa Meeker (1986)       29
8.   Carrie Shurr (1994)       28
   Piper Thomas (2017)       28
10.   Jill Sprague (1988)       27
   Denise Cuttell (1987)       27
   Maryellen McCann (1986)   27

TOP SOPHOMORE MARK FOR KILLS
Karlie Taylor holds the UNI record for kills by a sophomore with 475. She surpassed the mark set by Rachel Tink of 457 set in 2003.
   Taylor has already eclipsed the UNI sophomore record for attacks with 1,289. Bri Weber held the previous best for a UNI sophomore with 1,063 in 2016.

KARLIE, BRI MOVING UP
SINGLE-SEASON ATTACK CHART
Karlie Taylor and Bri Weber are moving up on the UNI single-season attacks chart.
   Taylor has 1,289 attacks, which ranks No. 2 on UNI's single-season list.
   Weber has totaled 1,286 attacks, which puts her at No. 3 on the chart.
   Weber holds the single-season record with 1,303 attack attempts.

UNI's Single-Season Attack Attempts Chart
1.   Bri Weber (2015)       1,303
2.    Karlie Taylor (2017)       1,289
3.   Bri Weber (2017)       1,286
4.   Laura Rowen (2006)       1,274
5.   Molly O'Brien (2002)       1,233
6.   Kerri Eich (1997)       1,224
7.   Kate Galer (1996)       1,201
8.    Kim Kester (2002)       1,199
9.   Bobbi Becker (1989)       1,195
10.   Amie Held (2016)       1,165

HOOK RANKS NO. 5 ON UNI'S
SINGLE-SEASON ASSIST LIST
UNI senior setter Heather Hook ranks No. 5 on the Panther single-season assist chart. She has posted 1,451 assists this season.
   Last year, Hook tallied 1,341 assists.

UNI's Single-Season Assist Chart
1.   Jill Arganbright (2002)   1,689
2.   Jill Arganbright (2003)   1,613
3.   Kristin Belzung (2006)       1,514
4.   Erin Hirsch (2004)       1,472
5.   Heather Hook (2015)       1,451
6.   Kristin Belzung (2007)       1,440
7.   Molly Turk (2012)       1,439
8.   Jill Arganbright (2001)   1,415
9.   Heather Hook (2016)       1,366
10.   Jill Arganbright (2000)   1,347

SORGE RANKS 6TH ON
SINGLE-SEASON DIGS LIST
UNI junior libero setter Kendyl Sorge ranks No. 6 on the Panthers's single-season digs chart with 588 digs entering the NCAA Tournament.
   Sorge posted 621 digs last year, which ranks No. 6 on the UNI list.

UNI's Single-Season Digs Chart
1.   Ellie Blankenship (2009)   698
2.   Ellie Blankenship (2008)   676
3.   Ellie Blankenship (2010)   658
4.   Candice Burke (2012)       625
5.   Ellie Blankenship (2007)   624
6.   Kendyl Sorge (2016)       621
7.   Kendyl Sorge (2017)       588
8.   Candice Burke (2011)       585
9.   Amie Held (2015)       577
10.   Amie Held (2014)       524

BRI, KARLIE SERVE IT UP
Bri Weber and Karlie Taylor have each joined the UNI single-season top-10 list for service attempts.
   Weber has 572 serves this season, while Taylor has 564 serves.

UNI's Single-Season Service Attempts Chart
1.   Patricia Dietz (2006)       628
2.   Stephanie May (2006)       617
3.   Jessi Worrell (2003)       594
4.   Stephanie May (2005)       588
5.   Kristin Belzung (2006)       582
6.   Brittany Bakker (2006)       580
7.   Bri Weber (2017)       572
8.   Kristin Belzung (2007)       564
   Karlie Taylor (2017)       564
10.   Jill Arganbright (2002)   552

WEBER FINDS A SPOT IN UNI'S DOUBLE-GRAND CLUB
Junior Bri Weber became the 11th UNI Panther to post a pair of 1,000 career totals (digs, kills or assists).
   Weber is one of eight Panthers to post 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in their careers.
   Weber has totaled 1,332 digs and 1,145 kills.

UNI's 1,000/1,000 Club
Jill Arganbright   1,025 digs/6,064 assists
Alexandra Auker   1,303 digs/1,360 kills
Bobbi Becker   1,457 digs/1,611 kills
Mary Bernhardt   1,202 digs/3,977 assists
Amy Braun   1,672 digs/1,202 kills
Kate Galer   1,368 digs/1,720 kills
Kim Kester   1,013 digs/1,439 kills
Kim McCaffrey   1,015 digs/1,272 kills
Bre Payton   1,222 digs/4,752 assists
Laura Rowen   1,145 digs/1,386 kills
Bri Weber   1,332 digs/1,145 kills

SORGE MOVES TO NO. 4, WEBER TO NO. 9 ON UNI'S TOP-10 ALL-TIME DIGS LIST
Junior libero Kendyl Sorge has moved into the No. 4 slot on UNI's all-time digs list with 1,694 digs. Sorge ranks No. 27 on the NCAA's active career digs list.
   Junior Bri Weber has 1,332 career digs to rank No. 9 on UNI's all-time digs list.

UNI's All-Time Digs Chart
1.   Ellie Blankenship (2007-2010)   2,656
2.   Amie Held (2013-2016)   2,002
3.   Candice Burke (2008-2012)   1,737
4.   Kendyl Sorge (2015-pres.)   1,694
5.   Amy Braun (2009-2012)   1,672
6.   Stephanie May (2003-2006)   1,570
7.   Bobbi Becker (1986-1989)   1,457
8.   Kate Galer (1993-1996)   1,368
9.   Bri Weber (2015-pres.)   1,332
10.   Alexandra Auker (1997-2000)   1,303
11.   Bre Payton (2007-2011)   1,222
12.   Mary Bernhardt (1984-1987)   1,202
13.   Miranda Weber (1999-2002)   1,148
14.   Laura Rowen (2004-2007)   1,145
15.   Jill Arganbright (2000-2003)   1,025

HOOK CLIMBS ASSIST LADDER
UNI senior setter Heather Hook ranks No. 6 on the school's all-time assist chart.
   Hook is the sixth UNI Panther to accumulate at least 4,000 assists in her career. Hook has posted 4,209 career assists.
   Hook ranks No. 16 on the NCAA's active career leaders in assists and No. 8 on the NCAA list for assists per set (11.05).

UNI's All-Time Assist Chart
1.   Jill Arganbright (2000-2003)   6,064
2.   Shannon Perry (1996-1999)   4,881
3.   Bre Payton (2008-2011)   4,752
4.   Kara Galer (1992-1995)   4,265
5.   Kristin Belzung (2003-2007)   4,256
6.   Heather Hook (2014-pres.)   4,209
7.   Mary Bernhardt (1984-1987)   3,977
8.   Bobbie Kreple (1987-1990)   2,780
9.   Kinsey Caldwell (2013-2014)   2,549
10.   Katie Crowley (1988-1991)   1,895

THOMAS JOINS UNI'S TOP-10 SOLO BLOCKS LIST
Junior middle hitter Piper Thomas has joined the top-10 list of solo blockers in UNI volleyball history.
   Thomas ranks No. 6 on UNI's solo block list with 72 career solos.

UNI's All-Time Solo Blocks Chart
1.   Denis Cuttell (1987-1990)   90
2.   Holly VanHofwegen (1996-1999)   86
3.   Kari Warren (1983-1986)   83
4.   Lisa Meeker (1986-1986)   74
5.   Carrie Shurr (1991-1994)   73
6.   Piper Thomas (2015-pres.)   72
7.   Jill Sprague (1985-1988)   71
   Danielle Brazda (2003-2007)   71
9.   Tricia Mills (1990-1993)   65
10.   Krista DeGeest (2008-2012)   64

DOUBLE-DOUBLE TALK
Karlie Taylor leads the Panthers in double-doubles this season with 24.
   Bri Weber ranks second on the team in double-doubles with 15, while Heather Hook has posted 11 double-doubles this year.
   Weber has recorded 49 career double-doubles. Hook has tallied 35 career double doubles.

Career Double-Doubles
Bri Weber - 49
Heather Hook - 35
Karlie Taylor - 24
Piper Thomas - 2

PANTHERS NEARLY AUTOMATIC WHEN UP 2-0
UNI jumped out to a 2-0 lead at Drake on Nov. 18 and finished off the advantage with a 3-0 sweep.
   UNI improved to 686-9 all-time when winning the first two sets of a match.

EARLY ADVANTAGE
UNI has won the opening set in 27 of its 34 matches this season. The Panthers are 25-2 when winning the first set.

4,000 CAREER ASSISTS FOR HOOK
UNI senior setter Heather Hook became only the sixth UNI Panther to reach 4,000 career assists.
   Hook also became the 23rd MVC player with 4,000 or more assists.
   Hook ranks No. 3 in the nation in total assists (1,451) this season.
   Hook has tallied 4,209 career assists and is one of 22 active NCAA Division I players with 4,000 or more assists.

1,000 CAREER KILLS FOR PIPER
UNI junior middle hitter Piper Thomas became the 27th Panther to surpass 1,000 career kills.
   Thomas has tallied 1,078 career kills. She leads in the Panthers in kills (495) and hitting percentage (.362).

DIGGING AT MISSOURI STATE
UNI tied for the fourth-most digs (79) in a school history in a three-set match on Saturday at Missouri State.
   UNI's school record for digs (88) in a three-set match came on Nov. 29, 1995, vs. Colorado in an NCAA Tournament match in Palo Alto, California.

UNI Record - Digs (3-Set Match)
1.   88 vs. Colorado (11/29/95)
2.   83   vs. Illinois State (11/16/90)
3.   81 vs. Southern Illinois (10/4/08)
4.   79   at Bradley (10/6/00)
   79 vs. Evansville (9/17/11)
   79 at Missouri State (10/11/17)

THOMAS EARNS MVC PLAYER OF WEEK HONORS FOR THIRD TIME
For the third time this season, University of Northern Iowa junior Piper Thomas has been named the Missouri Valley Conference's volleyball player of the week.
   Thomas averaged 5.00 kills per set and hit .447 over this week's set of matches for the Panthers. Thomas set a career-high with 24 kills (.385) in a five-set match at Illinois State on Friday. Thomas came back on Sunday and delivered a team-high 16 kills (.583) in a 3-0 sweep at Bradley. Thomas notched 40 kills against six attack errors in 76 total swings in the two league matches. Thomas is the MVC leader in hitting percentage (.355 - all matches; .418 in conference only matches).
   The last time UNI had a player earn MVC player of the week honors three times in the same season came in 2011 when Bre Payton tallied the league's top weekly honor on three occasions.

All-Time UNI MVC Player of the Week Honors
9 Times
Molly O'Brien

8 Times
Kate Galer

5 Times
Bre Payton

4 Times
Alex Auker
Bobbi Becker
Shannon Perry

3 Times
JIll Arganbright
Shannon Aschoff
Mary Bernhardt
Sylvia Eder
Kara Galer
Kim Kester
Piper Thomas

TRIPLE-DIGIT DIGS
UNI surpassed the 100-dig mark for the fourth time this season with 106 digs in a 3-2 loss at Illinois State.
   UNI reached triple digits in digs in both matches against Valparaiso with 105 and 104.
   UNI recorded a season-high 107 digs vs. South Dakota on Sept. 8.

SEEHASE NAMED MVC FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
UNI freshman Jaydlin Seehase earned MVC Freshman of the Week (Oct. 23) honors for her play in three league victories.
   Seehase averaged 2.55 kills per set with a .323 hitting percentage in three Panther victories.
   Seehase hit .381 with 10 kills, two digs and two blocks assists in a 3-0 win vs. Drake.
   Seehase hit .308 with six kills and a block assist in a 3-0 triumph over Loyola.
   She hit .290 with 12 kills, three block assists and two digs in a five-set win over Valpo.

UNDEFEATED AGAINST LOYOLA, VALPO
UNI defeated both Loyola and Valparaiso for the second time this season. In fact, UNI has never lost to either Loyola and Valpo. UNI is 17-0 all-time vs. Loyola and 8-0 all-time vs. Valpo.

WELCOME TO THE BLOCK PARTY
The Panthers posted a season-high 13 blocks vs. Valparaiso. It is the most blocks for the Panthers since they notched 17 blocks vs. Creighton (Dec. 1, 2016) in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament.
   Sophomore Karlie Taylor set a career-high with five solo blocks against the Crusaders on Saturday. Taylor doubled her previous best of three blocks, which she had accomplished four times this season.
   Junior Moriah Johnson also set a career-best with six blocks against Valpo. Johnson had posted five blocks on two previous occasions this year.

UNI CONTINUES MASTERY OVER DRAKE BULLDOGS
UNI scored a 3-0 win (25-14, 25-17, 25-15) over Drake last Tuesday. It marked the 41st consecutive victory for the Panthers over the Bulldogs.
   UNI head coach Bobbi Petersen moved to 34-0 all-time vs. Drake.
   The Panthers have also won 33 straight matches over the Bulldogs in Cedar Falls.

WEBER SETS THE STANDARD
UNI junior Bri Weber set the school record for kills in a three-set match with 25-point rally scoring with 21 kills vs. Drake. The 25-point set rally scoring began in 2008.
   Earlier this year, Weber set the standard with 20 kills in a three-set win at Indiana State (Oct. 6).
   Overall in the UNI record book, it is tied for the fifth-most kills in a three-set match (all scoring formats).

Kills in 3-Set Matches (All Scoring Formats)
1. 25 - Rachael Tink vs. Western Ill. (11/9/04)
2. 24 - Kate Galer at Indiana State (11/2/96)
3. 23 - Chris Less at Southern Ill. (11/9/90)
4. 22 - Molly O'Brien at Creighton (11/13/01)
5. 21 - Kim Kester vs. Rice (8/31/02)
21 - Molly O'Brien vs. Rice (8/31/02)
21 - Molly O'Brien vs. Indiana St. (9/19/03)
21 - Bri Weber vs. Drake (10/17/17)

SCHOLAR-ATHLETE WEEKLY PICKS
For the second straight week, UNI has had a player selected for the Enterprise Bank & Trust MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week.
   Heather Hook (Sept. 20) and Piper Thomas (Sept. 27) have each earned the MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week honor this season.
   To qualify for Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Week laurels, student-athletes must carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.20, completed at least one academic year at a Valley institution and must be at least a sophomore in academic standing.

PIPER POWERS PANTHER OFFENSE
Junior middle hitter Piper Thomas has been named the MVC Player of the Week for the second time this season. Thomas powered the UNI offense with a .354 hitting percentage and a team-best 36 kills (5.14 kills/set) as the Panthers secured a pair of road wins to begin Missouri Valley Conference play.
   Thomas tallied a career-high 23 kills (.373 hitting percentage) to go along with three blocks in a 3-1 win at Valparaiso. Thomas added 13 kills (.323 hitting percentage) and four blocks in a 3-0 sweep of Loyola.

DIGGING IN VS. VALPO
UNI was credited with 104 digs in a four-set win at Valparaiso to begin league play.
   The 104 digs ranks as the third-best total in school history in four-set matches.
   UNI tallied 37 digs in the opening set alone against the Crusaders - topping its previous season-high of 33 digs in the first set of match vs. South Dakota (9/8).
   UNI tied a school record for four-set matches earlier this season by posting 107 digs vs. South Dakota.

UNI Record - Digs (4-Set Match)
1.   107 vs. South Dakota (9/8/17)
   107 at Creighton (10/27/00)
3.   104 at Valparaiso (9/22/17)
4.   101 vs. Arkansas State (12/4/93)
5.   100 vs. Illinois State (10/18/13)

ROAD WIN OVER RANKED FOE
UNI's 3-2 win at Iowa State marked the first road victory over a ranked opponent since the Panthers toppled No. 8 Minnesota in a five-set match on Sept. 4, 2010.

PREPVOLLEYBALL.COM NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE WEEK AWARD
Junior Bri Weber was named the PrepVolleyball.com National Player of the Week after helping UNI defeat a pair of ranked foes in No. 19 Iowa State and No. 10 Nebraska.
   Weber played a key role in helping UNI knock off two more ranked opponents as the Panthers wrapped up non-conference play.
   Weber totaled a double-double with 14 kills and 13 digs to go with two solo blocks in a five-set win at No. 19 Iowa State.
   Weber registered 15 kills, nine digs, four assists, one solo block and tied a career-high with three service aces in UNI's 3-1 victory over No. 10 Nebraska.
   Weber tied a career-high with 22 kills and secured 17 digs in a five-set match with Kansas State.
   For the week, Weber tallied 65 kills (3.61 kills/set), 62 digs (3.44 digs/set), 11 assists, six blocks and five service aces.

SORGE NAMED OUTSTANDING LIBERO AT OMAHA CHALLENGE
Junior Kendyl Sorge was named the Most Outstanding Libero at the Omaha Challenge after leading the Panthers with 67 digs (3.72 digs/set) in the tournament's three matches.
   Sorge posted 15 digs, two assists and a service ace in a 3-1 win over Omaha.
   Sorge then tallied 15 digs and tied her career-high with eight assists in UNI's 3-1 victory over No. 10 Nebraska.
   She tallied 17 digs and six assists in a five-set loss to Kansas State.

THREE NAMED TO OMAHA CHALLENGE ALL-TOURNEY TEAM
Senior setter Heather Hook (Co-MVP), junior libero Kendyl Sorge (Most Outstanding Libero) and junior middle hitter Piper Thomas were all named to the Omaha Challenge All-Tournament team.

ANOTHER WIN IN AMES
UNI recorded its 11th all-time victory over Iowa State in matches played in Ames.
   Iowa State entered the match having not lost a decision to an in-state opponent since 2008 when the Panthers went into Hilton Coliseum and scored a victory over the Cyclones.

WEBER, SORGE EARN SPOTS
ON UMKC ALL-TOURNEY TEAM
UNI's Bri Weber and Kendyl Sorge each earned a spot on the Kangaroo Klassic All-Tournament team. Weber averaged 3.18 kills/set and 4.27 digs/set, while Sorge averaged 4.82 digs/set in the three matches in Kansas City.
   Weber secured a double-double with 18 kills and 19 digs in a 3-1 triumph over South Dakota. Weber finished the weekend with another double-double against UMKC (13 kills, 20 digs).
   Sorge posted 25 digs against South Dakota. Sorge also tallied eights assists against the Coyotes. She completed her week of action with 17 digs against UMKC.

TAYLOR NABS SECOND STRAIGHT ALL-TOURNEY HONOR
Sophomore Karlie Taylor earned a spot on the Bluejay Invitational All-Tournament team after leading UNI with 57 kills (4.75 kills/set) in three matches. It is the second straight week that Taylor has earned a spot on an all-tourney team.
   Taylor recorded 28 kills in a five-set match vs. No. 13 Kentucky. It marked the most kills in a match by a UNI Panther in 15 years since Molly O'Brien posted 29 kills vs. Creighton in the 2002 season.
   Taylor began the weekend by posting 20 kills and 12 digs in UNI's first-ever win over No. 18 Southern California. Taylor hit .326 against the Trojans.
   Taylor followed that up with a .333 hitting percentage against Kentucky as she was fed 66 attack attempts in posting 28 kills.

KNOCKING OFF USC
UNI secured the program's first-ever win over the University of Southern California on Friday with a 3-1 triumph at the Bluejay Invitational.

THOMAS TAKES MVP HONORS AT AUSTIN PEAY TOURNAMENT
Junior Piper Thomas earned tournament MVP honors at the Culver's Governors Challenge as she led UNI to a perfect 3-0 record.
   Thomas recorded a .482 hitting percentage as she secured 47 kills over the three matches. Thomas also posted a team-best 15 blocks.
   In the five-set win over No. 19-ranked Missouri, Thomas had a career-high 18 kills (.412 hitting percentage) to go along with five blocks and three digs.
   Thomas registered 13 kills (.765 hitting percentage) with no attack errors along with five digs and four blocks in a 3-0 win over Middle Tennessee State.
   Thomas wrapped up the weekend's action with 16 kills (.406 hitting percentage) and added six blocks and three digs in a 3-1 triumph over Austin Peay.

PIPER NAMED MVC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior middle hitter Piper Thomas was named the Missouri Valley Conference's Volleyball Player of the Week for her play at the Culver's Governors Challenge.

TAYLOR POSTS BIG NUMBERS IN TENNESSE
Sophomore Karlie Taylor posted a pair of impressive numbers in her 2017 season debut vs. No. 19-ranked Missouri. Taylor became only the 26th Panther to post 20 or more kills and digs.
   Taylor notched career-high in kills (23) and digs (21) in UNI's 3-2 win over the Tigers.
   Taylor secured her second career double-double against Austin Peay when she tallied 21 kills and 14 digs.

THOMAS, TAYLOR EARN ALL-TOURNEY HONORS IN TENN.
UNI's Piper Thomas and Karlie Taylor each earned a spot on the Culver's Governors Challenge All-Tournament team.
   Thomas was named the Tournament MVP after securing 47 kills while hitting .482. Thomas also registered a team-high 15 blocks in the three matches.
   Taylor notched a team-best 53 kills and had two matches of 20-plus kills to begin the season.

TWO OR MORE WITH 20 KILLS
For the second time this season, UNI had two players post 20 kills in the same match as Karlie Taylor and Piper Thomas each recorded 20 kills in a 3-1 win over No. 18 Southern California.
   Taylor (23 kills) and Bri Weber (22 kills) also pulled off the 20-plus kill efforts in a five-set victory over Missouri (8/26).
   Prior to this season the last time a pair of Panthers had 20 or more kills in a single match match came all the way back in 2009.
   Shannon Aschoff (20) and Michelle Burow (20) each went for 20 kills vs. Creighton on Nov. 20, 2009.

HOOK NETS CAREER-HIGH
IN ASSISTS VS. MIZZOU
Senior setter Heather Hook set her career-high in assists with 64 in a five-set win over No. 19-ranked Missouri.
   Hook's previous career-best of 59 assists came Sept. 23, 2016, in a five-set match vs. Southern Illinois.

12 CONSECUTIVE YEARS OF APR RECOGNITION, PERFECTION
For the past 12 years the NCAA has recognized teams in the top-10 percent of the Academic Progress Report and the UNI volleyball team has been on the list all 11 years.
   In fact, the UNI volleyball team has had a perfect score of 1,000 in each of the 12 years.
   UNI volleyball is one of 93 programs in the nation to have earned the recognition in each of the 12 years teams have been honored.

AVCA TEAM ACADEMIC AWARD
The UNI volleyball team compiled a 3.42 cumulative GPA during the 2016-17 season.
   It marks the sixth consecutive season that the Panthers have earned the AVCA Team Academic Award.

AMONG ELITE COMPANY
The Panthers rank No. 8 all-time in NCAA Division I winning percentage (.774). UNI trails only Penn State (.861), Hawaii (.855), Nebraska (.842), Florida (.830), Stanford (.811), UCLA (.776) and BYU (.775) in NCAA Division I winning percentage totals.

17 MVC REGULAR SEASON TITLES
The Panthers have tallied 17 MVC regular season titles through the years.
   UNI won the regular season title in 1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013.

20 NCAA APPEARANCES
In its 20 trips to the NCAA tournament, UNI has posted 14 wins, advancing to at least the second round 11 times.
   UNI has advanced as far as the NCAA's Sweet 16 three times since 1999. In 2002, the Panthers went into the NCAA tournament as the No. 1 seed in the East Region.

PANTHERS PICKED SECOND IN MVC PRESEASON POLL
The Panthers earned one first-place vote in the preseason Missouri Valley Conference coaches poll.
   UNI is projected to finish second behind preseason favorite Missouri State.

2017 PRESEASON POLL
1.   Missouri State (9)   99 pts.
2.    UNI (1)    89 pts.
3.    Illinois State    76 pts.
4.    Loyola    67 pts.
5.    Southern Illinois    64 pts.
6.    Drake    48 pts.
7.    Valparaiso    33 pts.
8.    Bradley    32 pts.
9.    Indiana State    26 pts.
10. Evansville    16 pts.

NICARAGUA TRIP
UNI spent 10 days in Nicaragua this past spring as the Panthers were able to make an trip outside the United States.
   UNI was in Nicaragua from May 9-17. The days consisted of playing volleyball, experiencing Nicaragua and doing mission work.
   An extra component of this trip that was different than in the past was the opportunity to give back. The team volunteered at Manos Unidas (cooperative for people with disabilities), Escuela Adelante (preschool) and local schools. The Panthers also hosted a youth volleyball clinic.

FAN FAVORITES
The Panthers consistently have ranked among the national leaders in attendance, and this season is no different with UNI ranked No. 14 in average home attendance at 2,438 per match.
   UNI has ranked in the top 20 in home attandance in 16 of the last 18 seasons, including a stretch of eight straight seasons in the top 20.

WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE
UNI head coach Bobbi Petersen will be available at the weekly press conference held each Monday beginning at noon in the McLeod Center's Alumni Suite. The press conference will be streamed live for the general public and media to view.

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Heather Hook

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Jaydlin Seehase

Kendyl Sorge

Karlie Taylor

Piper Thomas

Bri Weber

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