UNI volleyball gears up for key tests at Bluejay Invitational

UNI volleyball vs. #25 USC (Bluejay Invitational)

10:30 a.m. CT | Sept. 2
Omaha, Neb. | D.J. Sokol Arena (2,500)
FloVolleyball
UNIpanthers.com (Chris Kleinhans-Schulz: Play-by-Play)
Live Stats (via Stat Broadcast)

UNI volleyball vs. #16 Kentucky (Bluejay Invitational)

5 p.m. CT | Sept. 2
Omaha, Neb. | D.J. Sokol Arena (2,500)
FloVolleyball
1540 KXEL (Chris Kleinhans-Schulz: Play-by-Play)
Live Stats (via Stat Broadcast)

UNI volleyball vs. #17 Creighton (Bluejay Invitational)

7:30 p.m. CT | Sept. 3
Omaha, Neb. | D.J. Sokol Arena (2,500)
FloVolleyball
1540 KXEL (Chris Kleinhans-Schulz: Play-by-Play)
Live Stats (via Stat Broadcast)

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- A trio of top-25 opponents await UNI volleyball this weekend in Omaha as the Panthers travel to Creighton University for the Bluejay Invitational to take on the No. 25 USC Trojans, No. 16 Kentucky Wildcats and No. 17 Creighton Bluejays.

Friday and Saturday's matchups mark the final year of an eight-year rotating tournament between the Panthers and their three challengers. UNI's best finish in the event came in 2018 with the Panthers taking second place after upset wins over No. 13 Creighton and No. 5 Kentucky in Los Angeles. This weekend also marks the fifth time in program history and first time since 2018 that UNI will face three consecutive ranked opponents. The Panthers are 21-52 against ranked teams under head coach Bobbi Petersen (1997, 2001-present).

UNI enters the second week of the season after posting a 1-2 record to open the 2022 campaign at the Webb-Burbridge Classic last weekend in Tempe, Ariz. UNI fell to Toledo in four sets and host Arizona State in five frames before sweeping CSU Bakersfield in the finale for its first win of the year. Inga Rotto led the Panther attack with 33 kills and 10 blocks en route to all-tournament honors, while Carly Spies blocked 11 attacks at the net. Sydney Petersen anchored the UNI defense with 39 total digs in her Panther debut last weekend, as Tayler Alden notched 4 service aces and 121 assists, including 52 against Arizona State.

USC TROJANS

USC holds an 8-1 record all-time against the Panthers. UNI's lone win over the Trojans came on Sept. 1, 2017 in four sets in Omaha. The win was also Bobbi Petersen's third in her career against a Pac-12 opponent.
The Trojans have not dropped a set in their first three matches this season, earning 3-0 victories at home last week against Colgate, UMBC and Villanova.
Last season, USC finished with a 15-15 record and 10-10 mark in Pac-12 competition, missing out on postseason action for the second consecutive year.

KENTUCKY WILDCATS

Kentucky has won 6 of the 8 all-time meetings with UNI. Both of UNI's victories over the Wildcats came in Los Angeles, first in 2016 in a 3-0 sweep, and in 2018 in a five-set dual.
The Wildcats split their first two matches of the 2022 season, both at home in Lexington. Kentucky fell to Marquette last Friday in five-sets before bouncing back on Sunday in a sweep against Ohio.
16 months removed from winning the program and SEC's first national championship during the 2020-21 season, Kentucky enters the 2022 campaign after an impressive 2021 fall season, going 25-5 overall and 15-1 in league play to win the SEC's regular season title.

CREIGHTON BLUEJAYS

Former, longtime Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) rivals, UNI leads the all-time series against Creighton 42-12. The Panthers were 40-5 against the Bluejays in conference play (1994-2012), which was highlighted by a 24-match winning streak for UNI from 1994 to 2005. Since joining the Big East in 2013, Creighton has won 8 of the previous 10 meetings, including the last four.
The Bluejays went undefeated at the Rumble In The Rockies Tournament last weekend in Laramie, Wyo., defeating Iowa State in a three-set sweep, while picking up wins over Wichita State and Wyoming in four sets.
The reigning Big East Tournament champions, Creighton posted a school-record 31 victories last season en route to an appearance in the second round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament with a first-round win over Ole Miss.

PANTHER NOTES

UNI has won the first set in each of its first three matches this season.
Kentucky and Creighton are two of the 12 teams remaining on UNI's schedule this season that made a national postseason tournament a year ago.
Inga Rotto has played in 123 consecutive matches for the purple and gold since 2018, having missed just two matches in her career. Emily Holterhaus has not missed a single match since joining the Panthers in 2019, appearing in 91 straight matches.
Entering the weekend, Tayler Alden ranks 25th in the nation in total assists with 121, and 3rd in the MVC.
The Panthers have recorded 159 total kills through three matches this year, 40th most in Division I, and 2nd among MVC opponents.
Defensive specialists Baylee and Sydney Petersen are both inching closer to career milestones. Baylee is 44 digs shy of reaching 900 as a Panther, while Sydney is 15 service aces away from 100 on her career.

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