University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
Illinois State
Panther volleyball hosts Illinois State for MVC Tournament semifinals
11/20/2025 11:03:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
UNI is 13-4 against the Redbirds in the postseason, aiming for a fourth straight MVC Tournament title match appearance. Tickets now available for purchase.
UNI volleyball (23-5 / 16-0 MVC) vs. Illinois State (14-15 / 8-8 MVC) [MVC Tournament Semifinal]
- Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025
- 6 p.m. CT
- Cedar Falls, Iowa | McLeod Center (6,650)
- WATCH (ESPN+) [Eric Braley: Play-by-Play / Beth West: Analyst)
- LISTEN (Panther Sports Radio Network) [Chris Kleinhans-Schulz: Play-by-Play / Jay Grassley: Analyst)
- LIVE RESULTS
- TICKETS
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- Postseason volleyball returns to the McLeod Center on Saturday night as the top-seeded UNI Panthers begin their run for a fourth straight Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Tournament title in a semifinal matchup against the fifth-seeded Illinois State Redbirds.
First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT with live coverage available on ESPN+ and the Panther Sports Radio Network (106.5 FM Corn Country / 93.5 HD-2) with Chris Kleinhans-Schulz and Jay Grassley on the call.
Tickets for Saturday's match can be purchased through the UNI Ticket Office, by calling 319-273-4849 or through email at tickets@uni.edu.
Saturday's contest will be a rematch of last year's MVC Tournament semifinal that Northern Iowa won in straight sets. The Panthers are 13-4 all-time against the Redbirds in the conference tournament and won the lone meeting this year in the regular season at home, 3-0. UNI is also looking to become only the third four-peat tournament champion and first to sweep the regular season and tournament titles in four straight seasons since UNI did so in five straight years (1998-2002).
Fresh off its fourth straight MVC regular season championship and third consecutive undefeated conference season, UNI is riding a 19-match winning streak heading into the week, tied for the second-longest active streak in Division I, as well as tied for the seventh-longest streak in team history. The Panthers swept Murray State last Friday and topped Belmont in four sets last Saturday to close out the regular season on the road.
The MVC on Wednesday announces its slate of specialty award winners and all-conference team selections, with an impressive haul for the Panthers. Cassidy Hartman became the 16th MVC Player of the Year winner in program history, while head coach Bobbi Petersen won MVC Coach of the Year honors for a record fourth straight season and tenth time overall. Hartman, along with Lily Dykstra and Maryn Bixby were all named First Team All-MVC, Lindsay Oldendorf and Jadyn Petersen Second Team All-MVC, and Bixby, Petersen and Isabelle Elliott to the MVC All-Freshmen Team.
The Panthers are in the midst of a 56-match winning streak against MVC opponents in the regular season and postseason dating back to the 2022 MVC Tournament, the longest such streak in the nation. UNI's last loss to a conference opponent in either the regular season or postseason came in Nov. 2022 in the regular season finale at Drake.
Additionally, UNI head coach Bobbi Petersen can pass former Panther softball coach Meredith Bakley as the university's all-time winningest female coach, and becoming Northern Iowa's second-winningest coach ever in any sport:
- Peter Mazula (Men's & Women's Tennis) - 725 victories
- Meredith Bakley (Softball) - 632 victories
- Bobbi Petersen (Volleyball) - 632 victories
- Ryan Jacobs (Softball) - 529 victories
UNI ranks second in all of Division I volleyball with 14.7 kills, third with 13.7 assists per set, sixth in team attacks per set (38) and seventh in opponent hitting percentage (.149). Hartman leads the MVC in kills per set (4.6) and has posted 23 matches with ten or more kills in 2025, including four outings with 20+ kills. Dykstra has recorded eight or more kills in 26 of 28 matches this year and ranks third in the MVC with four kills per frame.
Reese Booth leads Northern Iowa with 6.2 assists per set, while Petersen anchors the Panther backrow with 4.4 digs per frame and a team-high 24 service aces. At the net, Bixby has posted a team-high 104 blocks on the year, as Oldendorf has recorded 78 total blocks.
SCOUTING ILLINOIS STATE
The Redbirds make their second trip to Cedar Falls after a come-from-behind five set opening round win at fourth-seeded UIC on Wednesday afternoon. Illinois State posted a 13-15 record in the regular and tied for fifth in the league standings with an 8-8 conference mark.
Under the leadership of third year head coach Allie Matters, Khenedi Guest, a First Team All-MVC selection this season, leads the MVC with 119 total blocks on the year, plus 2.1 kills per set. At the service line Audrey Clark has posted 22 aces for Illinois State, while Ella Craggs has dished out six assists per frame. On defense, Arianna Rossi has anchored the Redbird backrow with 4.5 digs per set.
2025 MVC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Opening Round
- #5 Illinois State def. #4 UIC, 3-2
- #3 Drake def. #6 Belmont, 3-2
Semifinals
- #5 Illinois State at #1 UNI - 6 p.m. CT (Friday, Nov. 22)
- #3 Drake at #2 Valparaiso - 6 p.m. CT (Friday, Nov. 22)
Championship
- TBD at TBD - TBA (Tuesday, Nov. 25)
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.
