University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
UIC
UNI volleyball begins MVC title defense at UIC, Valparaiso
9/24/2025 10:32:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Panthers seek fourth straight conference regular season title this year, kicking off league play against the Flames and Beacons.
UNI volleyball (7-5 / 0-0 MVC) at UIC (6-4 / 0-0 MVC)
- Friday, Sept. 26, 2025
- 6 p.m. CT
- Chicago, Ill. | Credit Union 1 Arena (8,000)
- WATCH (ESPN+)
- LISTEN (Panther Sports Radio Network) [Chris Kleinhans-Schulz: Play-by-Play)
- LIVE RESULTS
UNI volleyball (7-5 / 0-0 MVC) at Valparaiso (9-4 / 0-0 MVC)
- Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025
- 5 p.m. CT
- Valparaiso, Ind. | Athletics-Recreation Center (5,000)
- WATCH (ESPN+)
- LISTEN (Panther Sports Radio Network) [Chris Kleinhans-Schulz: Play-by-Play)
- LIVE RESULTS
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CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- The UNI volleyball team's chase for a fourth straight Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) regular season championship begins this weekend as the Panthers open league play on the road at UIC on Friday and at Valparaiso on Saturday.
First serve is scheduled for Friday night in Chicago at 6 p.m. CT and late Saturday afternoon in Valparaiso at 5 p.m. CT. Live coverage of both matches can be found on ESPN+, with live radio coverage available on the Panther Sports Radio Network (106.5 FM Corn Country / 93.5 HD-2) with Chris Kleinhans-Schulz on the call.Â
Northern Iowa holds a commanding lead in both series against both opponents, leading the Flames by a 17-3 margin with seven straight victories, while leading the Beacons by a 20-4 margin with six straight wins over Valparaiso. UNI is 22-3 in MVC opening matches under head coach Bobbi Petersen, including wins in each of its last four conference openers.
Friday's matchup at UIC is a rematch of last season's MVC Tournament championship match in Cedar Falls, where the Panthers stormed back from down eight points in the fourth frame to win their third straight conference tournament title in four sets. Meanwhile, the Panthers pulled off a reverse sweep in Valparaiso last October and swept the Beacons at home in 2024.
Northern Iowa kicks off MVC play after posting three straight 3-0 sweeps at the Capital Credit Union Classic in Wisconsin over Tennessee Tech, Western Michigan and Green Bay, where Lily Dykstra, Cassidy Hartman and Lindsay Oldendorf were all named to the All-Tournament Team. In addition to three All-Tournament Team selections last week, redshirt freshman Jadyn Petersen was named the MVC Defensive Player of the Week after averaging 5.1 digs per set in Wisconsin.
The Panthers enter league play on a 36-match winning streak against MVC opponents in the regular season dating back to the start of the 2023 MVC schedule, the fourth-longest stretch in team history. UNI's last loss to an MVC opponent came in the 2022 regular season finale at Drake.
UNI ranks fourth in all of Division I volleyball with 38.5 attacks per set, as well as 14th in both kills (14.3) and assists per frame (13.2), and 25th in digs per set (16.1). The Panthers also lead the MVC in kills and assists per set, while ranking second in the league with 16.1 digs per frame.
Dykstra leads the MVC in kills per set (4) and has recorded eight or more kills in all 12 matches this season, including 13 consecutive contests dating back to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2024. She has also posted ten or more kills seven times this season, while Hartman has notched eight matches with ten-plus kills in 2025
Reese Booth anchors Northern Iowa with 5.82 assists per set with freshman setter Kate Shafer notching 5.08 assists per frame, while Petersen leading the Panther defense with 4.28 digs per set. At the net, redshirt freshman Maryn Bixby has posted a team-high 32 blocks on the year, as Oldendorf has recorded 26 total blocks.
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SCOUTING UIC
The Flames open conference play after posting a 6-4 mark in non-conference action, punctuated by wins over DePaul and Loyola-Chicago at home in the Chicago Cup last weekend. UIC was picked second in the MVC's preseason poll behind UNI, one year after reaching its first MVC Tournament championship match.
Led by ninth year head coach Justin Ingram, the Flames rank in the top-three in the MVC in aces (1.6) and blocks per set (2.1), as well as opponent hitting percentage (.176). Outside hitter Cleo Lorenzo, a Preseason All-MVC Team selection, leads UIC with three kills per frame, while Julieta Sandez leads the nation with a .531 hitting clip.
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SCOUTING VALPARAISO
Valparaiso welcomes UNI to the Athletics-Recreation Center after a 9-4 non-conference slate, capped by wins over Western Illinois and Chicago State at the Leatherneck Classic in Macomb last weekend. The Beacons are coming off an 18-win season in 2024 where they reached the second round of the MVC Tournament before falling to UIC.
Under the leadership of 24th year head coach Carin Avery, Valparaiso is among the MVC's top statistical teams, leading the league in digs per set (16.6), opponent hitting percentage (.161), total assists (618), team digs (799), team kills (672) and total blocks (111). Emma Hickey leads the Beacons with 5.2 digs per frame, while Ava Helming anchors the Valparaiso offense with a team-high 3.1 kills per set.
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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.
