UNI Completes 5-Match Homestand vs Loyola, Valpo

Friday, October 20

Cedar Falls, Iowa

7 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

Loyola ('80s Night)

UNI Completes 5-Match Homestand vs Loyola, Valpo

10/19/2017 11:22:00 AM | Women's Volleyball

UNI-vb-notes-LoyolaValpo-2017

Complete Release (PDF)

This Week's Action
Fri., Oct. 20 -- Cedar Falls, Iowa (McLeod Center)
Loyola at UNI, 7 p.m. | ESPN3 | AUDIO | STATS

Sat., Oct. 21 -- Cedar Falls, Iowa (McLeod Center)
Valparaiso at UNI, 7 p.m. | ESPN3 | AUDIO | STATS

• The No. 25-ranked University of Northern Iowa volleyball team (18-5 overall, 8-1 MVC) will complete a five-match homestand with a pair of matches on Friday and Saturday in the McLeod Center.

• UNI will remain at home on Friday and Saturday with matches against Loyola (1-18, 0-8 MVC) and Valparaiso (11-10, 3-5 MVC).

• The Panthers moved into sole possession of second place in the MVC standings with a 3-0 sweep of Drake on Tuesday. It marked the 41st consecutive victory for UNI over Drake.

• UNI is one of 14 teams with three or more wins against the NCAA RPI Top 25. Of those 14 teams - UNI, Penn State, Minnesota, Texas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Stanford, Kansas, USC and Michigan State have winning records against the top 25.

• Junior middle hitter Piper Thomas is the MVC's leader in hitting percentage (.399) in league matches. Thomas ranks third in the MVC in kills/set (4.33) in conference only action.

• Senior setter Heather Hook leads the MVC in assists/set by a wide margin - 1.07 assists/set. Hook has an even wider lead when considering only Missouri Valley Conference matches - 1.69 assists/set.

• Sophomore Karlie Taylor ranks No. 4 in the MVC in kills per set (3.86). Junior Piper Thomas ranks No. 5 in the league in kills per set (3.81). Junior Bri Weber ranks No. 6 in the conference in kills per set (3.45).

• Weber posted a school record with 21 kills in a three-set match in 25-point rally scoring against Drake on Tuesday.

PANTHERS WRAP UP FIVE-MATCH HOMESTAND THIS WEEKEND
The No. 25-ranked University of Northern Iowa volleyball team (18-5, 8-1 MVC) will complete a five-match homestand this Friday and Saturday against Loyola (1-18, 0-8 MVC) and Valparaiso (11-10, 3-5 MVC).

PROMOTIONS
Friday's match will be a 80s Night, while Saturday's match will be a Purple Pride Night.

TICKETS
Fans can purchase single-game tickets to UNI volleyball home games through UNITIX. A ticket to the Youngstown State-UNI football on Saturday will earn you free admission to the UNI volleyball match.
   Call 319-273-4849 or visit www.unipanthers.com/tickets.

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 Loyola - KXEL (1540-AM)
Sat., vs Valpo - KXEL (1540-AM)

THE VALLEY ON ESPN3
Both matches will be streamed live on The Valley on ESPN3.
   Brad Wells (play-by-play) and Barb Randall (analyst) will call the action in the McLeod Center.

SERIES NOTES
The Panthers own a 16-0 lead in the all-time series vs. Loyola. Since joining the MVC, the Ramblers are 0-10 against the Panthers. UNI notched a 3-0 sweep at Loyola on Sept. 23.
   UNI holds a 7-0 lead in the all-time series vs. Valparaiso. The Panthers posted a 3-1 victory over the Crusaders on Sept. 22.

HEAD COACH BOBBI PETERSEN
Head coach Bobbi Petersen is in her 18th year as the Panthers head coach.
   Petersen has posted an impressive 452-137 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 12 NCAA Tournaments under Petersen's direction. She ranks No. 12 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 (480 - Missouri State in that elite class.

UNI CONTINUES MASTERY OVER DRAKE BULLDOGS
UNI scored a 3-0 win (25-14, 25-17, 25-15) over Drake on 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)

SECOND PLACE STATUS
UNI claimed sole possession of second place in the MVC standings with the 3-0 victory over Drake on Tuesday in the McLeod Center.
   UNI completed the halfway point of the MVC slate with a league mark of 8-1 - trailing only Missouri State's perfect 9-0 mark.
   The top two finishers in the MVC regular season standings receive a bye into the semifinals of of the MVC Tournament set for Nov. 23-25 in Normal, Illinois.

UNI AGAINST RPI TOP 25
UNI is one of 14 teams to have recorded at least three wins against the NCAA RPI top 25 teams.
   Among those 14 teams, only 10 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. 16 USC (3-1) and No. 21 Iowa State (3-2).

3 or More Wins vs NCAA RPI Top 25
1.   Penn State   5-1
2.    Minnesota   4-2
4.   Texas   5-2
5.   Kentucky   4-2
6.   Nebraska   7-3
7.   Stanford   5-2
9.   Oregon   3-5
10. Utah   3-3
11. Washington   3-3
12. Kansas   3-2
13. Creighton   3-4
16. USC   3-2
18. Michigan State   3-2
49. UNI    3-2

TWO MVC TEAMS IN TOP 50
No. 46 Missouri State and No. 49 UNI represent the MVC in the NCAA's RPI Top 50.

POLLING NUMBERS
UNI dropped five slots this week in the AVCA Top 25 poll to No. 25.
   UNI has been ranked in the AVCA Top 25 115 times in program history - the most in the Missouri Valley Conference.
   By comparison, the rest of the current teams in the MVC have been ranked 17 times (Illinois State - 14; Missouri State - 3).
   In the state of Iowa, UNI's 115 poll rankings puts it on top. Iowa State has been ranked in 85 polls, while Iowa has been ranked in one.
   UNI has been ranked in the top 10 in the AVCA poll on 25 occasions - the best mark in the MVC. Illinois State is second with one top-10 appearance.
   UNI's highest ranking in the AVCA Top 25 is No. 6 (Sept. 15, 2003).

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).

PIPER AT THE TOP
Junior middle hitter Piper Thomas is the Missouri Valley Conference's leader in kills/set and hitting percentage in league matches.
   Thomas's .408 hitting percentage in league play ranks as the top number in the MVC. Thomas has 130 kills in 260 attacks.
   Thomas is averaging 4.33 kills/set in all matches to rank No. 3 in the MVC.

HOOK HEADS THE LIST
Senior setter Heather Hook leads the MVC in assists/set by a wide margin - 1.07 assists/set.
   Hook has an even wider lead when considering only Missouri Valley Conference matches - 1.69 assists/set.
   Hook is averaging 11.58 assists/set (12.60 in MVC play), while Illinois State's Stef Jankiewicz ranks second in the league at 10.51 assists/set (10.91 in MVC play).

WHO DO YOU STOP?
UNI's offense features three of the top-10 kill leaders in the Missouri Valley Conference.
   Sophomore Karlie Taylor ranks No. 4 in the MVC in kills per set (3.86). Junior Piper Thomas ranks No. 5 in the league in kills per set (3.81). Junior Bri Weber ranks No. 6 in the conference in kills per set (3.45).
   The trio also ranks in the top-10 in points per set. Thomas is No. 4 (4.44), Taylor is No. 5 (4.27) and Bri Weber is No. 6 (3.95) in points per set.

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 became the 26th Panther to tally at least 1,000 career kills.
   She is one of 17 Panthers to record at least 1,000 career digs.
   Weber has totaled 1,182 digs and 1,036 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   1,182 digs/1,036 kills

PANTHERS NEARLY AUTOMATIC WHEN UP 2-0
UNI jumped out to a 3-0 lead vs. Drake on Tuesday and finished off the advantage with a 3-0 sweep.
   UNI improved to 680-9 all-time when winning the first two sets of a match.

EARLY ADVANTAGE
UNI has won the opening set in 18 of its 23 matches this season. The Panthers are 17-1 when winning the first set.
   UNI's only loss this season when winning the Panthers won the first set vs. No. 13 Kentucky and the Wildcats scored a five-set win on Sept. 2 in Omaha, Nebraska.

SORGE MOVES TO NO. 6 ON UNI'S TOP-10 ALL-TIME DIGS LIST
Junior libero Kendyl Sorge has moved into the No. 6 slot on UNI's all-time digs list with 1,499 digs.
   Sorge moved past her head coach Bobbi (Becker) Petersen, who has posted 1,457 digs from 1986-1989.

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.   Amy Braun (2009-2012)   1,672
5.   Stephanie May (2003-2006)   1,570
6.   Kendyl Sorge (2015-pres.)   1,499
7.   Bobbi Becker (1986-1989)   1,457
8.   Kate Galer (1993-1996)   1,368
9.   Alexandra Auker (1997-2000)   1,303
10.   Bre Payton (2007-2011)   1,222
11.   Mary Bernhardt (1984-1987)   1,202
12.   Bri Weber (2015-pres.)   1,182
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. 7 on the school's all-time assist chart.
   Hook is the seventh UNI Panther to accumulate at least 3,000 assists in her career. Hook has posted 3,754 career assists.

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.   Mary Bernhardt (1984-1987)   3,977
7.   Heather Hook (2014-pres.)   3,754
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. 8 on UNI's solo block list with 66 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.   Jill Sprague (1985-1988)   71
   Danielle Brazda (2003-20070   71
8.   Piper Thomas (2015-pres.)   66
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 15. Taylor has registered a double-doubles in five consecutive matches.
   Bri Weber ranks second on the team in double-doubles with 12, while Heather Hook has posted eight double-doubles this year.
   Weber has recorded 45 career double-doubles. Hook has tallied 32 career double doubles.

Career Double-Doubles
Bri Weber - 46
Heather Hook - 32
Karlie Taylor - 15

UNI KNOCKED OFF FIVE RANKED TEAMS IN 2002
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).

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.

MORE STREAKS OF NOTE
UNI, Hawaii, Nebraska, Stanford, Penn State and UCLA lead the nation with 36 consecutive non-losing seasons in NCAA Division I volleyball.
   UNI has posted 32 straight NCAA Division I winning seasons – the sixth-longest active streak in the nation behind Hawaii (36), Nebraska (36), Penn State (36), Stanford (36) and UCLA (34).

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.

WEBER EARNS PRESEASON ALL-MVC STATUS
Junior Bri Weber (Dike, Iowa) has been named to the preseason all-Missouri Valley Conference squad.

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, including ranking No. 18 in the nation in 2016 with an average of 2,086 fans per home 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.