University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
5-5,0-0MVC
Tennessee Tech
2-8,0-0OVC
UNI volleyball tops Tennessee Tech in straight sets
9/18/2025 4:50:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Panthers take Capital Credit Union Classic opener over Golden Eagles. UNI faces Western Michigan on Friday afternoon.
GREEN BAY, Wisc. — The UNI volleyball team made quick work of Tennessee Tech on Thursday afternoon, sweeping the Golden Eagles in straight sets in the opening match of the 2025 Capital Credit Union Classic at the Kress Center to even its season record at 5-5.
In an all-around team performance, Northern Iowa notched a team hitting percentage of .341 with 39 total kills in its first-ever matchup with Tennessee Tech. UNI dished out four service aces in the win, along with seven total blocks.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UNI cruised through its opening set with the Golden Eagles, stringing together multiple scoring runs of four consecutive points or more, including a 7-0 run that put the Panthers ahead 11-3. Hitting .346 as a team with 13 kills, Cassidy Hartman, Lindsay Oldendorf and Maryn Bixby each helped carry the load with three kills each in the first set, while Lily Dykstra notched two kills as the Panthers rolled to a 25-14 win.
Northern Iowa faced a stiffer challenge from Tennessee Tech in the second stanza, but remained highly efficient with 16 team terminations on .424 hitting. After an early 7-7 tie, the Panthers scored five straight points and never looked back, maintaining a steady lead from the remainder of the frame. With a strong set by Dykstra with five kills and four more terminations from Hartman, UNI took a 2-0 match lead with a 25-17 set victory.
The Golden Eagles scored the first two points of the third set before Northern Iowa stormed back with a 6-0 run, setting up a strong finish to the match. Hitting .231 with ten team kills, UNI sprinted across the finish line with three aces in the final frame from Bixby and Dykstra, as well as Hartman on match point. UNI held Tennessee Tech to six kills and forced nine attack errors with a -.100 hitting clip to complete the three-set sweep.
Hartman finished the afternoon with a match-high nine kills, plus eight digs and two blocks, while Dykstra notched eight terminations. Bixby tallied a career-high eight kills and a pair of blocks, while Isabelle Elliott posted a career-best seven kills and two blocks, along with five terminations from Oldendorf. Molly Shafer posted two kills and two blocks, while Reese Booth led with 16 assists and Kate Shafer recording 14 assists. Jadyn Petersen anchored the UNI backline with 11 digs.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- Thursday was the first all-time meeting between UNI and Tennessee Tech in women's volleyball.
- Maryn Bixby notably finished the match with zero attack errors on 11 attempts for a career-best .727 hitting percentage.
- Isabelle Elliott made her first career start on Thursday, while setter Sydney Golden made her season-debut for UNI after missing the first nine matches of the season due to illness.
- Lily Dykstra has recorded eight or more kills in all nine matches this season, including her last ten outings dating back to the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
UP NEXT
The Panthers return to action on Friday afternoon when they take on Western Michigan. First serve is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. CT at the Kress Center with live coverage available on 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.
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