UNI volleyball carries strong play into road trip at Indiana State, Evansville

UNI volleyball (13-5 / 6-0 MVC) at Indiana State (9-10 / 3-4 MVC)

Friday, Oct. 17, 2025
5 p.m. CT
Terre Haute, Ind. | ISU Arena (500)
WATCH (ESPN+)
LISTEN (Panther Sports Radio Network) [Chris Kleinhans-Schulz: Play-by-Play)
LIVE RESULTS

UNI volleyball (13-5 / 6-0 MVC) at Evansville (6-13 / 2-5 MVC)

Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025
5 p.m. CT
Evansville, Ind. | Meeks Family Fieldhouse (2,000)
WATCH (ESPN+)
LISTEN (Panther Sports Radio Network) [Chris Kleinhans-Schulz: Play-by-Play)
LIVE RESULTS

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- UNI volleyball returns to the road this weekend for a two-match swing through southern Indiana as the Panthers take on the Indiana State Sycamores and Evansville Purple Aces in Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) action.

First serve for both matches is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT on Friday and Saturday afternoon. Live coverage of both matches can be found on ESPN+, as well as the Panther Sports Radio Network (106.5 FM Corn Country / 93.5 HD-2) with Chris Kleinhans-Schulz on the call.

UNI is riding a season-long nine-match winning streak heading into the weekend, tied for the fifth-longest active streak in Division I, including wins in its first six league contests. The Panthers hold a commanding 69-7 lead in the all-time series against the Sycamores with four straight wins over Indiana State. Northern Iowa, who matched up with the Purple Aces last Friday in Cedar Falls, also hold a dominating 61-3 record all-time against Evansville.

The Panthers swept both Evansville and Bradley in straight sets last weekend inside the McLeod Center. Cassidy Hartman notched a pair of double-doubles to extend her streak to four consecutive matches, while UNI hit just under .300 against the Braves.

Maryn Bixby was named the MVC's Freshman of the Week after racking up nine total blocks last week, including a career-high nine kills against Bradley, while Jadyn Petersen was also named the MVC Defensive Player of the Week for a second time this year, posting a perfect reception percentage in four straight matches while also adding 18 digs in both matches last week.

UNI's blocking defense has been a key factor to its success in its last three matches. The Panthers have recorded at least 12 blocks in three of their last five outings.

The Panthers are in the midst of a 42-match winning streak against MVC opponents in the regular season dating back to the start of the 2023 MVC schedule, the third-longest stretch in team history. UNI's last loss to an MVC opponent came in the 2022 regular season finale at Drake.

UNI ranks second in all of Division I volleyball and first in the MVC with 39.1 attacks per set, as well as fourth in kills (14.5), fifth in assists per frame (13.4), and 16th in digs per set (16.8).

Hartman leads the MVC in kills per set (3.92) and posted 13 matches with ten or more kills in 2025. Meanwhile, outside hitter Lily Dykstra has recorded eight or more kills in all 18 matches this year, including 19 straight contests dating back to the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Reese Booth anchors Northern Iowa with 6.07 assists per set with Petersen leading the Panther defense with 4.62 digs per set. At the net, Bixby has posted a team-high 60 blocks on the year, as Lindsay Oldendorf has recorded 42 total blocks.

SCOUTING INDIANA STATE
The Sycamores enter Friday afternoon's match with a 9-10 record and 3-4 mark in league play. Indiana State came up short in an in-state home matchup with Evansville on Tuesday in four sets.

Led by fourth year head coach Ashlee Pritchard, the Sycamores rank in the top-25 in Division I with 36.2 attacks per set and third in the MVC with 942 total kills. Kira Holland leads the league with 11.6 attack attempts per frame and in total kills (256), while Ella Scott ranks fourth in the MVC with 26 total service aces.

SCOUTING EVANSVILLE
The Purple Aces welcome the Panthers to Meeks Family Fieldhouse with a 6-13 mark and 2-5 MVC record after their four-set win over Indiana State on Tuesday.

Led by first year head coach Zach Weinberg, the Purple Aces boast a talented backrow defense, led by Ainoah Cruz, who ranks 13th in Division I and second in the MVC with 5.04 digs per set. Additionally, Kora Ruff ranks second in the league with 7.86 assists per frame. As a team, Evansville is top-ten in the nation in total attacks (2,776) and 35th in attacks per set (36.53).

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.

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