Panther Volleyball Looks for MVC Tourney Crown

Thursday, November 26

Springfield, Mo.

5 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

Illinois State

Panther Volleyball Looks for MVC Tourney Crown

11/24/2015 10:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball

Complete Release (PDF)

This Week's Action
Thurs., Nov. 26 - Springfield, Mo. (Hammons Student Center)
Illinois State vs. UNI, 5 p.m. (The Valley on ESPN3)

Fri., Nov. 27 - Springfield, Mo. (Hammons Student Center)
Winner vs. Wichita State, 5 p.m. (The Valley on ESPN3)

Sat., Nov. 28 - Springfield, Mo. (Hammons Student Center)
MVC Championship, 4 p.m. (The Valley on ESPN3)

• The University of Northern Iowa women's volleyball team (18-13 overall, 12-6 Missouri Valley Conference) earned the No. 4 seed for the 2015 MVC Tournament.

• UNI will take on No. 5-seeded Illinois State in the first quarterfinal on Friday at 5 p.m. The match can be seen live on ESPN3 and live audio will be available on UNIPanthers.com.

• The winner of the UNI-Illinois State match will take on the No. 1-seeded Wichita State Shockers on Friday at 7 p.m.

• The championship match is slated for Saturday at 4 p.m.

• UNI and Illinois State met in last season's MVC tournament championship match with the Redbirds advancing to the NCAA Tournament with a 3-1 win in the McLeod Center.

• UNI is 10-3 vs. Illinois State in MVC tourney matchups.

• UNI owns a league-best 41-18 mark in the MVC tourney.

• UNI has qualified for 31 consecutive Gateway/MVC tournaments. UNI has also taken part in the semifinals in 30 straight Gateway/MVC tournaments.

• UNI and Illinois State have combined to win 25 of a possible 33 MVC Tournament titles. UNI has won 16 titles, while Illinois State has won the postseason crown nine times. The rest of the league has a combined eight MVC Tournament titles.

UNI VOLLEYBALL NOTES

PANTHERS READY FOR 2015 MVC TOURNAMENT IN SPRINGFIELD
The University of Northern Iowa women's volleyball team (18-13 overall, 12-6 Missouri Valley Conference) earned the No. 4 seed for the 2015 MVC Tournament.
   UNI will take on No. 5-seeded Illinois State in the first quarterfinal on Friday at 5 p.m.
   The winner of the UNI-Illinois State match will take on the No. 1-seeded Wichita State Shockers on Friday at 7 p.m.
   The championship match is slated for Saturday at 4 p.m.

THE VALLEY ON ESPN3
The entire 2015 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament will be broadcast live on The Valley on ESPN3 with Greg Halbleib (play-by-play) and Linda Dollar (analyst) calling the action.

RADIO COVERAGE
Live radio coverage of the UNI Panther volleyball team can be found on NewsTalk 1540-AM KXEL and www.UNIPanthers.com. All audio this year will be free of charge (no subscription service).
   Chris Kleinhans-Schulz returns for his fourth season as the play-by-play voice of Panther volleyball.

Live Audio Coverage Schedule
Thurs., vs. Illinois St. - KXEL 1540-AM
Fri., vs. Wichita St. - KXEL 1540-AM
Sat., MVC Champ. - KPTY-AM 1330 and FM 107.3

WE'VE MET BEFORE
UNI and Illinois State met in last season's MVC tournament championship match with the Redbirds advancing to the NCAA Tournament with a 3-1 win in the McLeod Center.
   UNI is 10-3 vs. Illinois State in MVC tourney matchups.

UNI'S IMPRESSIVE MVC TOURNEY NUMBERS
UNI owns a league-best 41-18 mark in the MVC tourney.
   UNI has qualified for 31 consecutive Gateway/MVC tournaments. UNI has also taken part in the semifinals in 30 straight Gateway/MVC tournaments.
   UNI and Illinois State have combined to win 25 of a possible 33 MVC Tournament titles.
   UNI has won 16 titles, while Illinois State has won the postseason crown nine times. The rest of the league has won a combined eight MVC Tournament titles.

LONG LINE OF SUCCESS
UNI is assured of its 37th consecutive non-losing season.
   UNI also clinched its 31st straight season with a winning record.
   UNI would need to reach the MVC Tournament championship game to extend its streak of 17 consecutive 20-win seasons.

11 OR MORE LEAGUE WINS
Since the first season of MVC volleyball in 1992, UNI has posted 11 or more conference wins in every season.
   UNI's mark for fewest MVC wins in a season came in 1992 when the Panthers tallied 11 league victories.
   UNI tied its record for most league losses in a single season with six. UNI posted a 12-6 MVC mark in 2005 and 2015.

HELD, HANELINE, NAMED TO SCHOLAR-ATHLETE SQUAD
Juniors Amie Held and Kayla Haneline were each named to the 2015 Missouri Valley Conference's Volleyball Scholar-Athlete First Team.
   Held has a 3.84 GPA, while majoring in movement and exercise science. It marks the second straight season that Held has earned first-team scholar-athlete honors. She leads the team in digs (524) and service aces (26). Since moving to a six-rotation position on Oct. 2, she has led the team in kills. Held has posted 12 double-doubles since moving into a hitting position. She has registered a career-high 15 kills on three occasions. Held has been credited with 30 digs in two matches this year.
   Haneline has a 3.56 GPA with a double major in management (business administration) and biology. She earned honorable mention scholar-athlete team status last season. Haneline ranks fourth in the MVC in blocks/set (1.08) and fifth in the league in kills/set (3.22). She leads UNI in kills (383), blocks (128) and attack percentage (.297). She has registered at least eight kills in each conference match this season. She has posted 23 double-figure kill totals in 2015. She set her career-high in kills on two occasions this season vs. Evansville (Sept. 26) and at Drake (Nov. 14). Haneline tallied a career-high nine blocks in a 3-2 win over Drake (Nov. 14).

HELD UP TO NO. 5 ON DIGS LIST
Junior Amie Held moved into No. 5 on UNI's all-time digs list - surpassing her head coach Bobbi (Becker) Petersen on the list. Held has tallied 1,503 career digs.
   Ellie Blankenship holds the all-time digs mark at UNI with 2,656 from 2007-2010.

UNI's All-Time Digs List
1.   Ellie Blankenship (2007-10)   2,656
2.   Candice Burke (2008-12)   1,737
3.   Amy Braun (2009-12)   1,672
4.   Stephanie May (2003-06)   1,570
5.   Amie Held (2013-pres.)   1,503
6.   Bobbi Becker (1986-89)   1,457
7.   Kate Galer (1993-96)   1,368
8.   Alexandra Auker (1997-00)   1,303
9.   Mary Bernhardt (1984-87)   1,202
10.   Miranda Weber (1999-02)   1,148

HELD NOT FAZED BY SWITCHING
Since making the switch from libero to a six-rotation player on Oct. 2, junior Amie Held has led the Panthers 183 in UNI's last 15 matches.
   Held leads the Panthers in digs (524 - 4.40/set). Heading into the MVC Tournament, Held's 524 digs ranks tied for the seventh-best single-season total in UNI history.

UNI's Single-Season Digs List
1.   Ellie Blankenship (2009)   698
2.   Ellie Blankenship (2008)   676
3.   Ellie Blakenship (2010)   658
4.   Candice Burke (2012)   625
5.   Ellie Blankenship (2007)   624
6.   Candice Burke (2011)   585
7.   Amie Held (2014)   524
   Amie Held (2015)   524
9.   Stephanie May (2006)   521
10.   Bobbi Becker (1987)   471

WEBER MOVES UP UNI'S SEASON ATTACKS CHART
Freshman Bri Weber heads into the MVC Tournament with 1,178 attacks, which ranks as the seventh-best single-season total in UNI history.

UNI's Single-Season Total Attacks
1.   Laura Rowen (2006)   1,274
2.   Molly O'Brien (2002)   1,233
3.   Kerri Eich (1997)   1,224
4.   Kate Galer (1996)   1,201
5.   Kim Kester (2002)   1,199
6.   Bobbi Becker (1989)   1,195
7.   Bri Weber (2015)   1,178
8.   Denise Cuttell (1990)   1,135
9.   Rachael Tink (2004)   1,132
10.   Eryca Hingtgen (2014)   1,130

WEBER TAKES OVER UNI FROSH MARK FOR TOTAL ATTACKS
Freshman outside hitter Bri Weber set UNI's freshman attacks mark in UNI's 3-2 win at Drake (Nov. 14).
   Weber has registered 1,178 attacks, which moved her past Alex Auker's freshman mark of 1,081 attacks in 1997 for the Panthers.

HOOK RANKS 18TH NATIONALLY
Sophomore setter Heather Hook ranks No. 18 nationally in total assists with 1,278.

NO. 7 IN THE NATION IN DIGS
UNI ranks No. 7 in the nation in digs/set as the Panthers are averaging 17.64 digs/set this season.

GREAT FAN SUPPORT
UNI is ranked No. 13 in the nation in average home attendance. UNI is averaging 2,277 fans per home match this season.
   UNI ranked No. 7 in the nation in average home attendance in the 2014 season with 3,118 fans per match in the McLeod Center.

NCAA'S UPDATED RPI NUMBERS
UNI is ranked No. 52 in the latest release of the NCAA's RPI listing. UNI has already played 14 top-100 teams in the RPI.
   UNI has collected seven wins over top-100 RPI teams season with victories over No. 21 Creighton, No. 39 Southern Illinois, No. 40 Missouri State, No. 65 Illinois State, No. 87 Alabama, No. 88 Cincinnati and No. 92 Northern Illinois.
   Five MVC schools are ranked in the top 65 including Wichita State (No. 34), Southern Illinois (No. 39), Missouri State (No. 40), UNI (No. 52) and Illinois State (No. 65).

UNI's Top-100 RPI Opponents
2. USC (L, 3-0)
16. Western Kentucky (L, 3-1)
19. Kentucky (L, 3-1)
21. Creighton (W, 3-1)
23. Iowa State (L, 3-0)
31. Colorado State (L, 3-0)
34. Wichita State (L, 3-0 | L, 3-0)
39. Southern Illinois (W, 3-1 | L, 3-1)
40. Missouri State (W, 3-2 | L, 3-1)
49. Baylor (L, 3-2)
65. Illinois State (L, 3-0 | W, 3-1)
87. Alabama (W, 3-1)
88. Cincinnati (W, 3-1)
92. Northern Illinois (W, 3-1).

ONE OF THE TOUGHEST SLATES
UNI's schedule strength is ranked No. 17 in the nation according to the latest NCAA statistical release.
   UNI's opponents this season have posted a mark of 394-244 (.618), which puts the Panthers's 2015 schedule as the toughest in the Missouri Valley Conference.
   Wichita State has the second toughest schedule in the MVC with its opposition's record at 385-279 (.580), which ranks No. 46 in the nation.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE TALK
Freshman Bri Weber has recorded a team-best 16 double-doubles. Junior Amie Held has tallied 12 double-doubles. Sophomore Heather Hook has been credited with 10 double-doubles.

10 CONSECUTIVE YEARS OF APR RECOGNITION, PERFECTION
For the past 10 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 nine years.
   In fact, the UNI volleyball team has had a perfect score of 1,000 in each of the 10 years.

AVCA Team Academic Award
The UNI volleyball team compiled a 3.385 cumulative GPA during the 2014-15 season.
   It marks the fourth consecutive season that the Panthers have earned the AVCA Team Academic Award.

AMONG ELITE COMPANY
The Panthers rank No. 6 all-time in NCAA Division I winning percentage (.782). UNI trails only Penn State (.866), Hawaii (.854), Nebraska (.840), Florida (.831) and Stanford (.813) 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.

18 NCAA APPEARANCES
In its 18 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.

HANELINE, HELD COMPETED FOR USA VOLLEYBALL OVER SUMMER
USA Volleyball selected 36 athletes, including UNI's Kayla Haneline and Amie Held, to participate in the U.S. Collegiate National Team (CNT) program that trained and competed in conjunction with the USA Volleyball Girls' Junior National Championships from June 21-29 in New Orleans, La.

NCAA REGIONAL HOST
UNI will serve as the host to the 2015 Division I NCAA Tournament Regional in Des Moines, Iowa, on Dec. 11-12.
   The regional semifinals and final will take place in Wells Fargo Arena.
   To purchase all-session tickets ($17 or $20) to the NCAA Regional contact the Wells Fargo Arena ticket office at 515-564-8300.

UNI ADDS FOUR SIGNEES
UNI head volleyball coach Bobbi Petersen has announced the addition of four signees to the Panther volleyball program for the 2016 season.
   Kate Busswitz (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/C.R. Prairie HS), Kate Cassabaum (Nevada, Iowa/Nevada HS), Abbi Staack (Waverly, Iowa/Waverly-Shell Rock HS) and Karlie Taylor (Eddyville, Iowa/Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont HS) have each signed at UNI to become a part of the Panther volleyball tradition.
   "We are extremely excited about our 2016 recruiting class and look forward to what these four student athletes will bring to our program," Petersen said. "Each is an incredible athlete, with great work ethic, a hunger to compete and have a high commitment to academics, all of which are important to our program. We are thrilled to have each of them and their families become members of the UNI Panther volleyball program."

WEEKLY PRESS LUNCHEONS
UNI head coach Bobbi Petersen will be available at the weekly Press Luncheons held each Monday beginning at noon in the back room of Pepper's Grill and Sports Pub located on 18th Street in Cedar Falls.