University of Northern Iowa Athletics
Panther volleyball draws Illinois in first round of 2024 NCAA Volleyball Tournament
12/1/2024 5:53:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Eighth-seeded UNI to take on the Fighting Illini on Friday afternoon in Louisville in 26th NCAA Tournament appearance.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- UNI volleyball will match up with the Illinois Fighting Illini in the opening round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, as announced during the release of the bracket on Sunday afternoon on ESPN.
The Panthers, seeded eighth in the Louisville quarter of the bracket, will battle the Fighting Illini at 3 p.m. CT on Friday, Dec. 6 at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville. Should Northern Iowa prevail in its first round match, the Panthers would play the winner of top-seeded Louisville and Chicago State on Saturday, Dec. 7.
UNI, who will make its 26th NCAA Tournament appearance this week, will square off with Illinois in the fifth all-time meeting between the two programs. This will be the first matchup between the Panthers and Illini since 2018 and the first in the postseason since 1986, when UNI made its first-ever NCAA appearance. Illinois leads the all-time series 4-0-1.
The Panthers qualified for this year's tournament after posting a 25-7 record finishing 18-0 in Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) play for its third straight regular season and tournament championships. Northern Iowa has won its last 20 matches, tied for the third-longest active winning streak in Division I.
The Fighting Illini (18-12, 10-10 Big Ten) receive an at-large berth after finishing eighth in the Big Ten Conference. Illinois is UNI's first Big Ten opponent in the NCAA Tournament since facing Minnesota in the second round of the 2022 tournament in Minneapolis.
Northern Iowa carries an all-time NCAA Tournament record of 16-25 into this year's field of 64, with three Sweet Sixteen appearances under its belt (1999, 2001, 2002).
ÂÂ 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.
