UNI volleyball heads to Omaha for Bluejay Invitational

UNI volleyball (3-3 / 0-0 MVC) vs. Rice (2-3 / 0-0 AAC)

Friday, Sept. 12, 2025
4:30 p.m. CT
Omaha, Neb. | D.J. Sokol Arena (3,000)
WATCH (YouTube)
LISTEN (Panther Sports Radio Network) [Chris Kleinhans-Schulz: Play-by-Play / Jay Grassley: Analyst]
LIVE RESULTS

UNI volleyball (3-3 / 0-0 MVC) vs. No. 4 Louisville (4-1 / 0-0 ACC)

Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025
6:30 p.m. CT
Omaha, Neb. | D.J. Sokol Arena (3,000)
WATCH (YouTube) (Jon Schriner: Play-by-Play / Jaclyn Taylor: Analyst)
LISTEN (Panther Sports Radio Network) [Chris Kleinhans-Schulz: Play-by-Play / Jay Grassley: Analyst]
LIVE RESULTS

UNI volleyball (3-3 / 0-0 MVC) vs. No. 18 Creighton (3-3 / 0-0 Big East)

Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025
3:30 p.m. CT
Omaha, Neb. | D.J. Sokol Arena (3,000)
WATCH (ESPN+) (Jon Schriner: Play-by-Play / Shannon Smolinski: Analyst)
LISTEN (Panther Sports Radio Network) [Chris Kleinhans-Schulz: Play-by-Play / Jay Grassley: Analyst]
LIVE RESULTS

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- Coming off a thrilling midweek victory over in-state rival Iowa State on Tuesday, the UNI volleyball team will head west to Omaha this weekend for three key non-conference matchups at D.J. Sokol Arena against Rice, No. 4 Louisville and No. 18 Creighton at the Bluejay Invitational.

Live coverage of the Panthers' matches against Rice and Louisville can be found on YouTube, with the weekend finale against Creighton available on ESPN+. All three matches will also be broadcast on the Panther Sports Radio Network (106.5 FM Corn Country / 93.5 HD-2) with Chris Kleinhans-Schulz and Jay Grassley on the call.

The second year of a four-team rotating tournament, UNI will look to remain undefeated against Rice having never dropped a set to the Owls in its four previous meetings. Saturday's contest against the Cardinals will be a rematch of last year's NCAA second round matchup, where the Panthers pushed the eventual NCAA runner-up Cardinals to the brink in a narrow five-set loss in Louisville. Sunday's matchup with Creighton will also serve as a rivalry renewal as former Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) foes clash. UNI has dominated the all-time series, but the Bluejays have controlled the narrative since joining the Big East with 11 wins over UNI since 2013.

Northern Iowa looks to carry momentum into the Bluejay Invitational after a resounding four-set victory over Iowa State on Tuesday in a match that featured the eighth-largest McLeod Center crowd for volleyball with 5,170 fans in attendance. Cassidy Hartman led the way for UNI in the victory over the Cyclones with a career-high 23 kills, plus 11 digs for her second double-double of the season, while also surpassing 500 kills for her career. Lily Dykstra also tallied 15 kills and a career-best three service aces, while Calia Clubb posted a season-high 12 terminations.

UNI enters the Bluejay Invitational ranked 15th in all of Division I volleyball with 38 attacks per set, as well as 18th in assists per frame (13.1) and 30th in digs per set (15.9). The Panthers led the MVC in kills (14.1) and assists (13.1) per set, while ranking second in the league with 15.9 digs per frame. Dykstra has also recorded nine or more kills in all six matches this season, including seven consecutive contests dating back to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2024.

SCOUTING RICE
The Owls come to Omaha with a 2-3 record, coming off a 3-0 sweep of Saint Mary's and a 3-0 loss to No. 20 Baylor last weekend in Waco. Rice notably also played No. 2 Texas last week, taking a set from the Longhorns in a 3-1 loss in Houston.

Led by 22nd year head coach Genny Volpe, the Owls posted a 19-8 record last season with a 13-3 mark in the American Athletic Conference (AAC), finishing second by one match to South Florida in the league standings. Rice was picked as the preseason favorite to win the AAC in 2025 with nine first-place votes and four preseason all-conference team selections in outside hitters Lademi Ogunlana, Taylor Preston and Cindy Tchouangwa, and setter Savannah Skopal.

Preston ranks fourth nationally with 12.5 attacks per set, while also ranking 30th in Division I with 4.97 points per frame. Rice as a team is 43rd in the country with 15.6 digs per set.

SCOUTING LOUISVILLE
The reigning NCAA runners-up make the trip to Nebraska after suffering their first loss of the season on Wednesday night in five sets to No. 2 Texas in Fort Worth. Louisville's first four wins of the year have come all at home against Auburn, Morehead State, St. John's and Illinois.

Led by first year coach Dan Meske, the Cardinals went 30-6 in 2024 and tied for second in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) standings with Stanford with a 17-3 mark. Louisville's run to the NCAA championship match included both a regular season and an NCAA Tournament victory over UNI at the KFC Yum! Center.

Picked second in the ACC preseason poll behind Pittsburgh, Nayelis Cabello, Chloe Chicoine and Cara Cresse were named to the league's preseason all-conference team. The Louisville defense ranks fourth nationally with 3.2 blocks per set, while also ranking into the top-20 in digs per set (16.6) and opponent hitting percentage (.128). Payton Petersen, daughter of UNI head coach Bobbi Petersen, leads the Cardinal attack with 3.9 kills per set, while Kamden Schrand posts a team-high 4.8 digs per frame.

SCOUTING CREIGHTON
The Bluejays play host to the Panthers amid a 3-3 start to the Brian Rosen era at Creighton, coming off a 2-1 showing at the Trojan Invitational in Los Angeles with wins over San Diego and UC Santa Barbara last weekend.

Creighton went 32-3 last season and cruised to a Big East regular season title with a perfect 18-0 record, ultimately winning the Big East Tournament championship and reaching the NCAA Elite Eight. The Bluejays were picked as the favorite to repeat as league champions, with outside hitter Ava Martin named the Big East Preseason Player of the Year and Jaya Johnson and Kiara Reinhardt joining her on the preseason all-conference squad.

Martin leads Creighton with 3.70 kills per set, with Annalea Maeder notching 9.3 assists a set. Eloise Brandewie has posted a team-high 25 blocks on the year, while Sagie Damrow leads with four digs per set.

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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