Mary Bernhardt (2001) - Hall of Fame

Mary Bernhardt

Induction:
2001
Class:
1988

Mary E. Bernhardt possesses one of the most prolific and ongoing legacies here at the University. A four-year starter for the Panther volleyball team from 1984-87, she reached goals that would to most athletes be unattainable. A high school standout, she came to UNI as a first team all-state choice and Iowa Player of the Year following her senior year.

Hailing from nearby Dike, Iowa, UNI was a close-to-home choice for college. As a freshman, Bernhardt led the Panthers in assists with a school-record 652, and 49 single-game assists mark versus Eastern Illinois. She also held the record for digs with 232, and a record 28 against Iowa. She was the second-leading blocker on the team, and received Player of the Week accolades, as well as earning Gateway Conference all-academic honors. As a sophomore, she set a school record with 987 assists, and also led the conference in assist percentage. She was named a GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-American while also receiving a Gateway Conference Presidents All-Academic Award in 1985.

Her junior year proved to be her come-out year, a year that would place her name amongst the greatest in UNI's history. In 1986, she registered 1,089 assists, bettering her previous record by 102. She led the conference in assist average and was a first team all-conference setter. She earned a second GTE/CoSIDA first team Academic All-American award, and led UNI's volleyball team to its first conference championship ever with a 30-3 record. She set the UNI season record for digs with 316 and received a second President's All-Academic award. In 1987 as a senior, she broke her previous record for assists with 1,249, thus holding the record in assists four consecutive years. She added 433 digs, with a game-high 39 against Washington State. She also was a four-time UNI triple-double club member. She gained her second first team all-America honor, and was voted Gateway Conference Player of the Year while leading the team to its second straight conference championship.

Bernhardt participated in the East/West All-Star Classic in Stockton, Calif., where she was named the Reebok Scholar Athlete of the Year. After completing her senior year, she went on to become an Assistant Director of Educational Programs and Services for the United States Volleyball Association in Colorado Springs, Colo., coordinating coaching clinics across the country. She coached at her high school alma mater, Dike-New Hartford, where she served as an assistant for one year. In 1990, she went to Western Illinois as a volunteer assistant coach. She then moved on to Iowa State, working as a volunteer assistant two years. In 1994, she accepted a job as a Billing Analyst for Earth Tech-Waterloo, where she handles contracting and budgeting. She later returned to UNI as an assistant coach, helping head coach and former teammate Bobbi Petersen lead the Panthers to more conference titles and NCAA Tournament berths.