University of Northern Iowa Athletics
UNI volleyball: Bixby, Petersen pick up weekly MVC recognition
10/13/2025 2:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Bixby earns MVC Freshman of the Week nod while Petersen picks up her second MVC Defensive Player of the Week award.
ST. LOUIS --- UNI redshirt freshmen Maryn Bixby and Jadyn Petersen have been named Missouri Valley Conference's (MVC) Freshman and Defensive Player of the Week for volleyball respectively, as announced by the league office on Monday afternoon.
The selection is the first weekly conference honor for Bixby, and the second of the season for Petersen.
The pair of MVC awards come after the Panthers' picked up a pair of 3-0 sweeps at home over the weekend against Evansville and Bradley to help UNI improve to 6-0 in league play. UNI is currently in the midst of a nine-match winning streak, tied for the fifth-longest in Division I, while also having won 42 consecutive regular season matches against MVC opponents, the third-longest such streak in program history and the third-longest active streak in the nation.
Bixby, who leads UNI with 60 total blocks this season, notched 14 total kills, including a career-high nine terminations in Northern Iowa's win on Saturday over the Braves, while also tying her career-high with six blocks against the Purple Aces.Â
Petersen meanwhile led UNI with 18 digs in both weekend matches, along with two service aces in the first set against Evansville. Notably, Petersen has not committed a reception error in four straight outings.
Bixby joins Petersen's two MVC Defensive Player of the Year awards this year, along with Cassidy Hartman, who has been named the league's Player of the Week twice as well this season.
In addition to Bixby and Petersen, Valparaiso's Ava Helming was named the MVC's Player of the Week.
Bixby, Petersen and the Panthers return to action on Friday as UNI visits Indiana State. First serve is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT at ISU Arena in Terre Haute with live coverage available on ESPN+ and the Panther Sports Radio Network (106.5 FM Corn Country / 93.5 HD-2).
UNI volleyball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Volleyball), X (@UNIVolleyball) and on Instagram (@univolleyball). The full 2025 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
