UNI embarks on final regular season road trip to UIC, Valparaiso

Friday, November 10

Chicago, Ill.

4 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

UIC

UNI volleyball vs. Indiana State | Nov. 3, 2023

Photo by: Eli Hull

UNI embarks on final regular season road trip to UIC, Valparaiso

11/8/2023 12:36:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

UNI Notes WATCH (ESPN+) [UIC]WATCH (ESPN+) [VALPARAISO]LISTEN (PANTHER SPORTS RADIO NETWORK)LIVE STATS (UIC)LIVE STATS (VALPARAISO)

Panthers look to lock down top-seed for MVC Tournament with a pair of wins against the Flames, Beacons.

UNI volleyball (21-6 / 15-0 MVC) at UIC (18-10 / 9-6 MVC)

4 p.m. CT | Nov. 10, 2023
Chicago, Ill. | Credit Union 1 Arena (9,500)
ESPN+
Panther Sports Radio Network (Chris Kleinhans-Shulz: Play-by-Play)

UNI volleyball (19-6 / 13-0 MVC) vs. Evansville (8-17 / 3-10 MVC)

6 p.m. CT | Nov. 11, 2023
Valparaiso, Ind. | Athletics-Recreation Center (5,000)
ESPN+
Panther Sports Radio Network (Chris Kleinhans-Shulz: Play-by-Play)

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- UNI volleyball will have the chance to clinch is 21st Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) regular season championship this weekend as the Panthers head east for their final road trip of the regular season to take on the UIC Flames in Chicago on Friday afternoon, and the Valparaiso Beacons on Saturday night.

Riding the fifth-longest active winning streak in Division I, UNI will put its 15-0 conference record on the line with a 4 p.m. CT first serve against the Flames on Friday. Saturday's match against Evansville will also begin at 6 p.m. CT. All veterans and active duty military personnel can receive free admission by showing their military ID at the UNITIX office.

Northern Iowa has won 32 of its last 33 MVC matches dating back to last season. The Panthers are guaranteed a top-two seed and a double-bye for the MVC Tournament, set to be held Nov. 19-22 in Springfield, Missouri and can clinch the league's regular season title for a second consecutive year with a pair of wins, or one win plus a Drake loss on the weekend, or a pair of Drake losses.

UNI has started 15-0 in MVC play nine times in its 49-year history (1995, 1998-00, 2009-11, 2022). In each of the prior eight instances, the Panthers went on to win the MVC's regular season title, including seven outright championships.

Last weekend at home, the Panthers overcame a resilient Indiana State team in a four-set victory inside the McLeod Center, one of just four times UNI has been pushed beyond three sets this season in league play. Northern Iowa dominated the following night against Evansville with a dominating defensive effort with ten team blocks.

With three matches to play in the regular season, the Panthers continue to lead the national with 14.8 kills per set and rank second in Division I in assists per set (13.8). UNI is also ranked in the top-30 nationally in digs per set (26th / 16.4), team kills (28th / 1,349), team assists (28th / 1,257) and opponent hitting percentage (30th / .166).

Emily Holterhaus continues to pace the Northern Iowa offense with 3.77 kills per set and 9.6 attacks per frame. Holterhaus sits 27 attack attempts away from breaking Karlie Taylor's (2016-19) school record of 4,599 attempts. Kira Fallert also looks to extend her streak of consecutive matches with a double-double to four after notching 38 total terminations last weekend, which included a season-high 24 kills against Indiana State.

Tayler Alden ranks second in the MVC with 10.3 assists per set, while Erin Powers ranks 22nd nationally with 4.97 digs per frame with a team-high 38 service aces. At the net, Olivia Tjernagel sits three blocks shy of 100 for the season, averaging 1.11 stops this year, the third-best average in the conference.

UIC FLAMES
The Flames remain in contention for a top-four seed in the MVC Tournament as they host UNI and Drake this weekend at Credit Union 1 Arena in downtown Chicago. UIC is currently riding a five-match winning streak, the third-longest active streak in the conference behind UNI (16) and Drake (5). Returning for its homecoming weekend on campus, UIC has won three of its last four matches in three-set sweeps, including road wins at Illinois State and Bradley last weekend. A heavy attacking team, the Flames lead the nation in total attack attempts (1,517) and team assists (1,421), while also ranking in the top-ten in averages in both categories. Becca Oldendorf leads the MVC with a .418 hitting percentage, while Zahria Woodard has proven to be one of the best blockers in Division I with 145 total stops and a 2.17 blocks per set average.

VALPARAISO BEACONS
Like their conference rivals in the Windy City, Valparaiso also seeks a top-four seed in the MVC Tournament down the final stretch of the regular season as UNI visits the Athletics-Recreation Center on Saturday night. Winners of eight of their last ten matches, the Beacons grabbed a narrow five-set win on the road at Illinois State and a 3-1 win at Bradley a week ago as they return to northwest Indiana for their final home matches of the season. In their Sept. 29 meeting in Cedar Falls, the Panthers forced Valparaiso into 20 attack errors as Layanna Green paced the UNI offense in a three-se sweep with 14 terminations. The Beacons rank third nationally in team digs (1,798) and fifth in both team attacks (3,990) and attacks per set (38.3), while Emma Hickey leads the MVC with 535 total digs.