University of Northern Iowa
4-4,0-0MVC
Louisville
6-1,0-0ACC
Panther volleyball falls to No. 4 Louisville in four sets
9/13/2025 8:52:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
UNI steals third set from Cardinals in 2024 NCAA Tournament rematch. Panthers face No. 18 Creighton on Sunday afternoon.
OMAHA, Neb. — The UNI volleyball team dished out five service aces and notched nine team blocks on Saturday, stealing a set from No. 4 Louisville before coming up short against the reigning NCAA runner-up in a 3-1 loss in the 2025 Bluejay Invitational.
Northern Iowa notched a .165 hitting percentage with three Panthers cracking double-digit kill figures as UNI faced off against Louisville in a rematch of the second round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Panthers kept early pace with the high-powered Cardinals in the opening set within two points before Louisville used a 6-2 run to build a 14-9 lead. Louisville's defense also stuffed UNI at the neck with seven blocks and held Northern Iowa to ten team kills on -.025 hitting. With Cassidy Hartman leading UNI with five kills and a pair of blocks from Lindsay Oldendorf, the Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the match with a 25-18 set win.
Northern Iowa's offense began to click into place in the second stanza, with the Panthers racking up 14 team kills on .250 hitting with just three attack errors. Service aces by Hartman and Taryn Rice helped UNI again keep pace with Louisville in a set that featured 12 ties and four lead changes. Trailing 20-15, the Panthers rattled off a 6-2 run to tie the set up at 22-22, but could not close the deal late in a 25-23 loss.
UNI responded in the third frame hitting .261 against the Cardinals in another nailbitting set. Fueled by another ace by Rice early, the Panthers traded points in a 14-14 tie before Louisville grabbed a three-point lead at 19-16. A 7-0 UNI run with four kills from Lily Dykstra helped push UNI into the lead and hang on for a 25-21 set victory to extend the match.
The Cardinals would lead UNI from start to finish in the fourth set hitting .371 with 16 kills, while the Panthers hit .150 with 13 kills. Calia Clubb would break into double-digit kills in the final frame while Kate Shafer dished out her third ace of the season in a 25-17 loss.
Dykstra would finish the night with a match-high 17 kills, while Hartman notched a 14 kill, 19 dig double-double in the loss, as Clubb tied her season-high with 12 terminations. Isabelle Elliott tallied five kills, with Oldendorf led UNI with a team-high six blocks plus four kills, while Maryn Bixby finished with four kills and three blocks. Kate Shafer posted a 22 assist performance, with Reese Booth notching 20 assists, as Jadyn Petersen posted 17 digs.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- UNI falls to 4-3 all-time against the Cardinals in Saturday's loss.
- The Panthers are now 25-96 all-time against AVCA top-25 ranked opponents. Northern Iowa's last win over a top-25 ranked opponent came in 2018 against No. 5 Kentucky in Los Angeles.
- Northern Iowa falls to 16-11 all-time against Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opponents, including 12-9 under head coach Bobbi Petersen.
- Cassidy Hartman notched her 11th career double-double on Saturday and fourth of the year. Saturday was also her 11th career match and fourth of the 2025 season with ten or more kills.
- Lily Dykstra has now recorded nine or more kills in all eight matches this season, including nine straight matches dating back to last season. Saturday was also her 11th career match and fourth of the 2025 season with ten or more kills.
UP NEXT
The Panthers return to action on Sunday afternoon as they take on No. 18 Creighton. First serve is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. CT 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.
