UNI volleyball announces 2023 schedule

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- Twelve home matches, plus tournament trips to Western Michigan, Creighton and Texas A&M headline UNI's 30-match schedule for the upcoming 2023 season.

The 2023 volleyball season ticket renewal period begins on June 1, 2023 and will run through July 31, 2023.

Season tickets are $69 arena wide this year. The updated McLeod Center seating map is attached to the right. 2023 VB Season Tickets Seating Chart

You can renew online here, or by calling 319-273-4849. Fans can also stop in to the UNI ticket office located in the Hall of Fame Connector and renew their tickets in person. Ticket office hours of operation run Monday through Friday, 10 a.m to 4 p.m.

For new, or additional season tickets, please contact Erik Tupper at 319-273-5411.

UNI's 2023 schedule features seven national postseason teams from a year ago, including five NCAA Tournament qualifiers, as well as the previous two NIVC Tournament runners-up in conference opponents Drake and Valparaiso. The Panthers are also slated to take on a pair of reigning conference champions in Creighton (Big East tournament) and Ball State (Mid-American co-regular season).

The Panthers will open their 49th season of play on August 25 at the Western Michigan Tournament in Kalamazoo against the Villanova Wildcats, before facing Milwaukee and Western Michigan on August 26. UNI will return to Omaha for a second consecutive season during Labor Day weekend to face off against LSU, Creighton and Ball State at D.J. Sokol Arena.

Following its trip to eastern Nebraska, UNI will head south to the Lone Star state for a three-day tournament in College Station, Texas to take on TCU, Texas A&M and Utah State. Both the Horned Frogs and Aggies both participated in last year's NCAA Tournament.

The Panthers will close the non-conference slate at home September 14-16 hosting North Dakota, Dayton and Northern Illinois. UNI went a perfect 12-0 at home last season and is 170-50 (.772) inside the McLeod Center all-time since it opened in 2006.

UNI begins the defense of its Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) regular season title on September 22 at Bradley, followed by an early season matchup with Illinois State. The Panthers are also scheduled to host Valparaiso and UIC the weekend of September 29-30 in their MVC home opener.

Following early October matches at Evansville and Indiana State and home contests with Missouri State and Southern Illinois, UNI will meet Drake for the first time since last year's MVC Tournament title game on October 16 in Des Moines. The Bulldogs handed the Panthers their lone loss in league play last season before UNI bounced back to win the MVC Tournament title in a five-set thriller.

UNI will make their first trips to Belmont and Murray State as conference opponents on October 21-22. The Panthers went 4-0 against the MVC's three new teams in 2022 (Belmont, Murray State, UIC).

Five of UNI's final seven regular season matches will be played at home, beginning October 27-28 with second matchups with Illinois State and Bradley, followed by Indiana State and Evansville coming to town on November 3-4. After a final road trip to UIC and Valparaiso, the Panthers will close out the regular season on November 15 for Senior Night against Drake.

The 2023 MVC Volleyball Tournament is slated to be held November 20-23 at a to be announced site. Expanding to the league's top-eight teams last season, the tournament champion will earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

2023 UNI Volleyball Schedule (Time listed as Central Time)

Western Michigan Tournament (Kalamazoo, Mich.)

Aug. 25 vs. Villanova – 3 p.m.
Aug. 26 vs. Milwaukee – 10 a.m.
Aug. 26 at Western Michigan – 6 p.m.

Bluejay Invitational (Omaha, Neb.)

Sept. 1 vs. LSU – 3:30 p.m.
Sept. 2 vs. Ball State – 2:30 p.m.
Sept. 3 at Creighton – 2:30 p.m.

Texas A&M Tournament (College Station, Tex.)

Sept. 7 vs. TCU – 4:30 p.m.
Sept. 8 at Texas A&M – 5:30 p.m.
Sept. 9 vs. Utah State – 11 a.m.

UNI Tournament

Sept. 14 vs. North Dakota – 7 p.m.
Sept. 15 vs. Dayton – 7 p.m.
Sept. 16 vs. Northern Illinois – 2 p.m.

Sept. 22 at Bradley – 6 p.m.
Sept. 23 at Illinois State – 5 p.m.
Sept. 29 vs. Valparaiso – 6 p.m.
Sept. 30 vs. UIC – TBA
Oct. 6 at Evansville – 6 p.m.
Oct. 7 at Indiana State – 4 p.m.
Oct. 13 vs. Missouri State – 6 p.m.
Oct. 14 vs. Southern Illinois – 5 p.m.
Oct. 16 at Drake – 6 p.m.
Oct. 20 at Belmont – 6 p.m.
Oct. 21 at Murray State – 5 p.m.
Oct. 27 vs. Illinois State – 6 p.m.
Oct. 28 vs. Bradley – 5 p.m.
Nov. 3 vs. Indiana State – 6 p.m.
Nov. 4 vs. Evansville – TBA
Nov. 10 at UIC – 6 p.m.
Nov. 11 at Valparaiso – 5 p.m.
Nov. 15 vs. Drake – 6 p.m.
Nov. 20-23 | MVC Tournament

Calendar

Upcoming Events