UNI volleyball to honor senior class hosting UIC, Valparaiso

UNI volleyball (18-7 / 13-0 MVC) vs. UIC Flames (18-7 / 10-3 MVC)

6 p.m. CT | Nov. 8, 2024
McLeod Center (6,650)
Cedar Falls, Iowa
ESPN+
Panther Sports Radio Network (Chris Kleinhans-Schulz: Play-by-Play)
LIVE STATS
TICKETS

UNI volleyball (18-7 / 13-0 MVC) vs. Valparaiso (10-15 / 7-6 MVC)

6 p.m. CT | Nov. 8, 2024
McLeod Center (6,650)
Cedar Falls, Iowa
ESPN+
Panther Sports Radio Network (Chris Kleinhans-Schulz: Play-by-Play)
LIVE STATS
TICKETS

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- UNI volleyball's five seniors will be honored during this weekend's homestand as the Panthers welcome the UIC Flames and Valparaiso Beacons in the final regular season home matches of the year.

Northern Iowa is slated to battle the Flames on Friday, Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. CT inside the McLeod Center, and the Beacons on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 6 p.m. CT. Both matches will be broadcast on ESPN+, as well as the Panther Sports Radio Network with Chris Kleinhans-Schulz.

Tickets can be purchased through the UNI Ticket Office, or by calling 319-273-4849 or by emailing tickets@uni.edu.

The Panthers will also celebrate Military Appreciation Night on Saturday, with all military personnel, both active and retired ,receiving complimentary tickets at the gate by presenting a military or service ID. Additionally, fans can use their UNI football tickets for Saturday's home game against Illinois State for admission to Saturday's volleyball match.

UNI was victorious in its previous matchups with UIC and Valparaiso on the road in early October, with the Panthers battling back for a reverse sweep victory against the Beacons and a three-set sweep over the Flames. Both opponents enter the weekend in the top-four in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) standings.

The Panthers return home after a pair of road wins at Murray State and Belmont last weekend, which featured head coach Bobbi Petersen's 600th career win last Friday over the Racers. Against Murray State, UNI racked up 61 total kills and held the Racers to 23 assists, while overcoming an early blocking deficit for a four-set win against the Bruins, led by a double-double outing by Cassidy Hartman.

UNI continues to ride a historic streak of victories in MVC play having won its last 31 regular season conference matches dating back to last season, the fourth-longest streak in program history. The Panthers have also won 35 straight matches overall against MVC challengers in both regular season and postseason play. UNI's current winning streak of 13 matches is currently tied for the eighth-longest active streak in Division I.

Kira Fallert continues to lead the UNI offense with 337 total kills through 25 matches, with Hartman close behind with 295 terminations. Powers's 34 service aces leads the way for the Panthers while her 420 total digs this year are sixth-most in the MVC this year.

Setters Sydney Golden and Reese Booth have split time on the court with the veteran Golden averaging 6.4 assists per set, with Booth notching 4.8 assists per frame, while Kacie Rewerts is second in the MVC with 1.4 blocks per set. Rewerts, who is third in MVC history with 579 career block assists, is the NCAA's active career leader in total blocks (656) across all divisions, and is also tied for fourth in Division I with 1.37 blocks per set in her career.

SCOUTING UIC
The Flames have been one of the hottest teams in the MVC outside league-leading UNI and Drake, sitting just three matches back of the first-place Panthers. UIC has dropped just one match, a 3-1 loss at Murray State since falling to Northern Iowa on Oct. 5 in Chicago.

Ranked 68th in the latest NCAA RPI, head coach Justin Ingram's team boasts the MVC's best blocking defense with 2.57 blocks per set, led by Zahria Woodard, who leads the conference with 1.47 blocks per set and 143 total blocks, third-most in the nation this season. Cleo Lorenzo has led UIC's attack with 2.54 kills per frame, as Francesca Venturini leads the league with 47 total service aces.

Northern Iowa is 15-3 all-time against the Flames and 6-1 against UIC under Bobbi Petersen, having won the last five meetings.

SCOUTING VALPARAISO
The Beacons' 3-2 loss to the Panthers at the Athletics-Recreation Center on Oct. 4 was the first loss in a four-match skid for the Beacons, who have gone a combined 6-4 since. Valparaiso, who was swept at Missouri State before sweeping Southern Illinois last weekend, will visit Drake on Friday night before coming to Cedar Falls for their weekend finale.

Emma Hickey, one of the best defenders in the MVC, ranks second nationally with 5.65 digs per set, second only to Drake's Jada Wills. Elise Swistek, meanwhile, leads the Beacon offense with 2.99 kills per frame and 9.9 attacks per set. As a team, Valparaiso ranks eighth in Division in total attack attempts (3,789).

UNI has won its last five matches against the Beacons, leading the all-time series by a 19-4 margin.

UNI volleyball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Volleyball), X (@UNIVolleyball) and on Instagram (@univolleyball). The full 2024 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.

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