Panther volleyball secures successful season in 2022

Panther volleyball secures successful season in 2022

12/29/2022 10:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball

2022 UNI Volleyball Recap

Comeback year highlighted by conference title sweep, postseason play

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – An amazing 2022 for the UNI Panther volleyball team comes to a close following numerous team and individual accomplishments. UNI logged the greatest one-year turnaround for any Panther squad and any Missouri Valley Conference regular season champion while sweeping the league titles and reaching the second round of the NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship.

The UNI bounceback began with the return to a normal schedule in 2022. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Panthers played two different seasons during the previous year including an eighth-place conference finish in the fall of 2021. UNI's first full spring session since 2019 had several tournaments and a standalone match versus reigning national champion Wisconsin. The Panthers also enjoyed a foreign trip in May and visited Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Montenegro.

Nonconference action began in August at Arizona State's Webb-Burbridge Classic featuring UNI's first victory of the season against CSU Bakersfield. After facing three ranked opponents in Creighton's Bluejay Invitational, the Panthers put their first win streak together by going 3-0 at the UNI Tournament, knocking off Iowa State in Hilton Coliseum, and winning back-to-back tilts in Iowa's Hawkeye Invitational before losing to Iowa in the nonconference finale.

Sporting an overall record of 7-6, UNI met undefeated Valparaiso on the road for its Missouri Valley Conference opener. The Panthers fought off several significant deficits and one match point in the fourth set en route to the 3-2 triumph and remained perfect versus league foes into mid-November. UNI swept its final homestand with victories over Southern Illinois and Missouri State to guarantee a flawless 12-0 home mark for the year along with the outright MVC regular season crown. The Panthers ended at 17-1 in MVC play following a defeat at Drake prior to the conference tournament.

A No. 1 seed for the Missouri Valley Conference Volleyball Championship gave UNI a double bye into the semifinals and a two-match path to the title and an automatic berth for the NCAA Volleyball Championship. After a sweep of fifth-seeded tournament host Evansville, the Panthers locked up their spot for what would be an all-Iowa final versus Drake. UNI tallied 15 aces – breaking the MVC's tournament record and UNI's 25-point rally-scoring-era record – within a five-set, championship-clinching win.

The Panthers traveled to Minneapolis for the first weekend of the NCAA Championship and went up against Texas Quarter No. 7 seed Florida State in the first round. Despite drawing a battle-tested ACC opponent that was receiving one vote in the AVCA Division I Women's Coaches Poll, UNI recorded the 3-0 triumph and moved into the second round. However, second-seeded and eighth-ranked Minnesota dropped the Panthers in straight sets to end UNI's bid for another upset.

UNI claimed its 24^th NCAA berth, 20^th conference regular season championship, and 18^th league tournament crown in 2022. The Panthers improved from their 2021 marks of 12-19 overall and 7-11 in MVC matches with resounding records of 27-8 and 17-1, respectively. The total and conference-only win improvements were the best in program history. Also, UNI became first team in league history to win the regular season title after finishing the previous season below .500 and under sixth place in conference play.

In addition to those impressive notes, this season provided many high-ranking Panther statistics. UNI's .373 assist percentage was good enough for fifth overall and first in the 25-point rally-scoring era. The Panthers also cracked the top 10 with their 130 sets played (fifth), 2,968 service attempts (sixth), 35 matches played (tied for sixth), and 2,299 points (10^th). UNI was third nationally in total kills (1,834) and fourth in total assists (1,675). Plus, the Panthers led the entire conference and came in at 22^nd nationally in average attendance with 1,993 fans per match representing their 10^th-best mark ever.

Although UNI was the only team in the country to win a conference championship and an NCAA tournament tilt that did not receive any AVCA All-America recognition, many individuals from the 2022 roster received various awards for their contributions on the court, in the classroom, and in the community. This included a program-record seven nods to the MVC Volleyball Scholar-Athlete Teams plus five All-MVC honorees, four picks for Academic All-District, three MVC Championship All-Tournament Team choices, two selections for AVCA All-Region, and the one Panther with 2022 Fall State Farm MVC Good Neighbor Award accolades.

Payton Ahrenstorff is one of just 12 persons this fall and the only UNI individual to earn the State Farm MVC Good Neighbor Award. Ahrenstorff, who was also tabbed MVC Scholar-Athlete Honorable Mention, played at defensive specialist and libero during her four-year tenure and recorded her 500^th career dig as a senior.

Tayler Alden's haul featured AVCA All-Midwest Region, MVC Setter of the Year, All-MVC First Team, Academic All-District, and MVC Scholar-Athlete Honorable Mention. Alden moved into a tie for third in career triple-doubles (five) and ninth outright in career assists (2,869) during her third season at setter for the Panthers.

Kira Fallert scooped up the MVC Elite 17 Award, designation as Academic All-District, and a place on the MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team. Fallert, a sophomore six-rotation outside hitter, is on a 66-match starting streak to begin her career and surpassed 500 career kills and 500 career digs within this past season.

Emily Holterhaus, who was chosen for MVC Scholar-Athlete Honorable Mention, made two all-tournament teams including UNI Tournament MVP plaudits. The fourth-year outside hitter became the 29^th Panther to reach 1,000 career kills and is now ninth in career attacks with 3,709 attempts entering 2023.

Baylee Petersen returned from missing the 2021 season with MVC Scholar-Athlete Honorable Mention. Petersen, who played at defensive specialist, libero, and outside hitter through her five years on the roster, is the 19^th Panther with at least 1,000 career digs and ends her career at ninth in career serves (1,542).

Sydney Petersen claimed distinction as AVCA All-Midwest Region, MVC Volleyball Championship All-Tournament Team, MVC Libero of the Year, and All-MVC First Team. The former Texas Longhorn and twin sister of Baylee was UNI's every-day libero as a newcomer and appeared in all 148 possible outings throughout her career.

Inga Rotto was rewarded with spots on the All-MVC First Team, Academic All-District, and MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team. A fifth-year middle blocker, Rotto set the MVC record for consecutive matches played (157) and posted new UNI marks for total contests (157), total sets (575), and senior-class attack percentage (.352).

Carly Spies captured honors for MVC Volleyball Championship All-Tournament Team, All-MVC First Team, Academic All-District, and MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team. Spies eclipsed 600 career kills and 300 total blocks and total block assists as a fifth-year middle blocker and also notched her first-ever double-double in 2022.

Olivia Tjernagel's breakout year on the right side led to MVC Volleyball Championship MVP and UNI Tournament All-Tournament Team citations. With experience at opposite and middle blocker in her third season, Tjernagel had a career-best three-tilt double-figure kill streak across the MVC and NCAA tournaments.

Finally, head coach Bobbi Petersen matched her former head coach Irage Ahrabi-Fard as a record-tying seven-time MVC Coach of the Year recipient. Petersen closes her 23^rd season as UNI's head coach with 557 total wins, 16 NCAA Championship bids, 10 league regular season crowns, and 10 conference tournament championships.