UNI volleyball begins MVC play at Valparaiso, UIC

UNI volleyball at Valparaiso
6 p.m. CT | Sept. 23

Valparaiso, Ind.| Athletics-Recreation Center (5,000)
1540 KXEL - Panther Sports Radio Network (Chris Kleinhans-Schulz: Play-by-Play)
ESPN3
Live Stats

UNI volleyball at UIC
5 p.m. CT | Sept. 24

Chicago, Ill.| Flames Athletic Center (500)
UNIpanthers.com (Chris Kleinhans-Schulz: Play-by-Play)
Live Stats

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- The UNI Panther volleyball team begins the next segment of its 2022 season with the opening of Missouri Valley Conference play this week. UNI starts off MVC action away from home with its league opener Friday at Valparaiso followed by Saturday's road tilt at conference newcomer UIC. The Panthers are coming off a second-place finish at Iowa's Hawkeye Invitational last week and closed the nonconference slate with a 7-6 record.

UNI defeated North Florida and South Dakota State this past Friday before falling to Iowa in Saturday's tournament finale. Sydney Petersen was tabbed as the Hawkeye Invitational Defensive MVP and also earned Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Week recognition. Emily Holterhaus and Inga Rotto received spots on the Hawkeye Invitational All-Tournament Team. During the match with Iowa, Tayler Alden became the 11^th Panther in program history to reach the 2,000-assist threshold.

VALPARAISO BEACONS
• UNI holds a commanding 14-4 record all-time against the Beacons although Valparaiso has won the last four meetings.
• Since Valparaiso joined the MVC in 2017, the Panthers are 8-4 against the Beacons.
• Picked fifth in the MVC preseason poll, Valparaiso is the league's only unbeaten team at 12-0. The Beacons most recently defeated Incarnate Word, UTSA, and Houston Baptist last week in San Antonio.
• Libero Emma Hickey leads the Beacons with 5.11 digs per set this season ranking 12th in the nation.
• Valparaiso made the deepest postseason run of any MVC team last season with a runner-up finish to UNLV in the 2021 NIVC.

UIC FLAMES
• UNI leads the all-time series against UIC, 10-3. While the Flames won the last meeting in 2015, the Panthers won 10 in a row from 1982-2005.
• The Panthers meet UIC for the first time as MVC members this Saturday night in Chicago. UNI previous played the Flames as a conference opponent from 1982-90 as a member of the Mid-Continent Conference (now known as the Summit League).
• UIC was selected third in the MVC preseason poll in their first season in the league. The Flames are out to an 8-4 start with recent wins over Loyola and DePaul at the Chicago Cup.
• Martina Delucchi leads the MVC with 4.11 kills per set. As a team, UIC ranks second in the conference in team hitting percentage (.247).
• Playing their final season in the Horizon League, the Flames finished the 2021 season with a 20-12 record and won their conference tournament before falling to top-ranked Louisville in the first round of the NCAA Championship.

PANTHER NOTES
• Inga Rotto has not missed a single match during her UNI career. She has played in 135 consecutive matches since 2018 - tied for 10th-most total tilts in school history.
• Rotto is currently on pace to set the school record for most career matches played which is currently held by Jill Arganbright, Molly O'Brien, Piper Thomas, and Kendyl Sorge at 138 matches.
• Tayler Alden has recorded 26 career double-doubles to lead all active Panthers. Emily Holterhaus has notched 21 career double-doubles while Kira Fallert has six to her name.
• Alden has recorded one triple-double for the Panthers this season against SEMO (11 kills, 34 assists, 10 digs). Her five career triple-doubles are tied for the third-best total in program history.
• Emily Holterhaus has appeared in 101 consecutive matches since becoming a Panther in 2019. Holterhaus is also 36 kills away from reaching 1,000 in her four-year career.
• Competing in her final collegiate season, Baylee Petersen is 90 digs shy of earning 1,000 digs in her career.
• Having notched 82 service aces at Texas and 13 service winners so far this season, Sydney Petersen is five aces away from 100 in her career.
• Head coach Bobbi Petersen is 5-for-9 in video challenges this season.

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