Panther volleyball honored with MVC volleyball awards slate

ST. LOUIS --- The Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) on Wednesday morning unveiled its specialty award winners and all-conference team selections for the 2025 volleyball season.

After posting a third consecutive undefeated conference season and capturing a fourth straight MVC regular season championship, the UNI volleyball program was recognized with two specialty award winners, plus six individuals earning All-MVC recognition.

Junior outside hitter Cassidy Hartman was named the league's Player of the Year, while head coach Bobbi Petersen was named MVC Coach of the Year for a record setting tenth time. Hartman, along with Maryn Bixby and Lily Dykstra were named First Team All-MVC, as Lindsay Oldendorf and Jadyn Petersen earned Second Team All-MVC honors. Three Panther freshmen were also honored in Bixby, Petersen and Isabelle Elliott on the MVC All-Freshmen Team.

CASSIDY HARTMAN - MVC Player of the Year / First Team All-MVC
The North Liberty, Iowa native is the UNI program's 16th conference Player of the Year award winner and second in a row after Kira Fallert earned the honor in 2024. Hartman led the MVC with 391 kills on the year and 4.1 terminations per set, recording double-digit kill figures in 23 of 28 matches this year, including four matches with 20+ kills, highlighted by a career-high 26 kill showing at Southern Illinois. A three-time MVC Player of the Week this season and a member of the Capital Credit Union Classic All-Tournament Team back in September, Hartman earned Second Team All-MVC and AVCA All-Region Honorable Mention honors in 2024.

BOBBI PETERSEN- MVC Coach of the Year
In her 26th season at the helm of the Panther program, Petersen wins MVC Coach of the Year for an MVC record fourth consecutive season, extending her own record with her tenth overall honor. Petersen helped lead UNI to its 22nd season under her leadership with 20+ wins, her 13th MVC regular season championship and third straight undefeated conference season. Additionally, she tied former Panther softball coach Meredith Bakely with her 632nd career win at the end of the regular season, tying her as the winningest women's coach in UNI history for any sport.

MARYN BIXBY - First Team All-MVC / MVC All-Freshmen Team
In her first season on the floor, Bixby earns her first all-conference honors after a breakout year with the Panthers. Bixby led Northern Iowa with 103 blocks (1.2 per set) during the regular season and ranked in the top-four in blocks per set in the league. She also tallied 160 kills, 17 assists, 16 service aces and 73 digs during her redshirt freshman season, where she was named MVC Freshman of the Week three times in October.

LILY DYKSTRA - First Team All-MVC
A Urbandale, Iowa native, Dykstra picks up her second All-MVC Team selection in her career after earning second team honors last year. Dykstra recorded a career-high 362 kills (1.1 per set) on the season, third-most in the league while also posting 17 service aces, 186 digs and 51 blocks during her junior campaign. Notably, she tallied eight or more kills in all but two matches this year and put up a career-high 21 terminations against Drake earlier this month. Dykstra was named the MVC Player of the Week on Nov. 10 and was named to the all-tournament teams for the Bluejay Invitational and Capital Credit Union Classic in September.

LINDSAY OLDENDORF - Second Team All-MVC
Joining the UNI roster as a transfer in the offseason from San Francisco, Oldendorf earns her first career conference honor. A native of Homer Glen, Illinois, Oldendorf tallied 117 kills, seven assists, 16 digs and 87 blocks in her lone season with the Panthers while appearing in 18 matches. Notably, she put up a season-high 12 kills at Green Bay in September, earning a spot on the Capital Credit Union Classic All-Tournament Team. She also posted a career-high nine blocks in Northern Iowa's five-set victory at home over UIC earlier this month.

JADYN PETERSEN - Second Team All-MVC / MVC All-Freshmen Team
After redshirting the 2024 season, Petersen picks up her first All-MVC honor after a stellar season as UNI's starting libero, appearing in all 28 matches. Petersen led the Panther backrow defense with 407 total digs (4.4 per set) during her redshirt freshman season, along with a team-leading 24 service aces. She recorded a career-high four aces against Washington back in September and also posted 27 digs against UIC earlier this month. A two-time MVC Defensive Player of the Week award winner, she also posted a .956 reception percentage on the year.

ISABELLE ELLIOTT - MVC All-Freshmen Team
Elliott rounds out her first season of Division I volleyball with her first collegiate honor. The Sumner, Iowa native ranked fourth on the UNI roster with 177 kills (1.8 per set) during her redshirt freshman season, along with five assists, 50 digs and 61 blocks. Elliott tallied five matches with double-digit kill figures, including a season high 14 terminations at Valparaiso in late September, along with eight blocks vs. UIC in November.

The Panthers, the top-seed in the MVC Tournament, will return to action on Saturday, Nov. 22 when they host the opening round winner of fourth-seeded UIC and fifth-seeded Illinois State. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT at the McLeod Center with live coverage available on ESPN+ and the Panther Sports Radio Network (106.5 FM Corn Country / 93.5 HD-2).

MVC PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Cassidy Hartman (UNI)
MVC LIBERO OF THE YEAR: Emma Hickey (Valparaiso)
MVC SETTER OF THE YEAR: Maria Drapp (Bradley)
MVC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Gracie Furlong (Bradley)
MVC COACH OF THE YEAR: Bobbi Petersen (UNI)

FIRST TEAM ALL-MVC

Brooke Gilleland (Belmont)
Kacia Brown (Drake)
Macy Daufeldt (Drake)
Ayat Amin (UIC)
Khenedi Guest (Illinois State)
Ella Voegl (Murray State)
Maryn Bixby (UNI)
Lily Dykstra (UNI)
Cassidy Hartman (UNI)
Ava Helming (Valparaiso)
Emma Hickey (Valparaiso)
Sam Warren (Valparaiso)

SECOND TEAM ALL-MVC

Maria Drapp (Bradley)
Gracie Furlong (Bradley)
Tendai Titley (Bradley)
Ainoah Cruz (Evansville)
Antonie Kelnarova (UIC)
Julieta Sandez (UIC)
Lindsay Oldendorf (UNI)
Jadyn Petersen (UNI)
Kelly Franklin (Southern Illinois)

MVC ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM

Jordan Czajkowski (Belmont)
Erin McMullen (Belmont)
Gracie Furlong (Bradley)
Caroline Smith (Drake)
Maryn Bixby (UNI)
Isabelle Elliott (UNI)
Jadyn Petersen (UNI)

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.

Calendar

Upcoming Events