University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
13-5,7-0MVC
Valparaiso
11-8,3-4MVC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valparaiso | 15 | 15 | 17 | 0 |
| UNI | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
10/16/2026 8:10:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — UNI volleyball's offense operated like an efficient machine on Friday night as the Panthers swept the Valparaiso Beacons in straight sets inside the McLeod Center in Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) action.
The Panthers offense dominated throughout the match, maintaining a .364 hitting percentage with 45 total kills and only nine total attack errors on the night. UNI also dished out seven service aces and registered seven blocks in the win.
Friday's win was another historic one for the purple and gold as Northern Iowa won its 59th consecutive regular season conference match, tying the second-longest regular season conference winning streak in program history (2009-12).
HOW IT HAPPENED
Northern Iowa started the match on a 5-0 scoring run in set one and never looked back with early kills from Cassidy Hartman, Grace Hannam and Lily Dykstra in that stretch. Hartman totaled five terminations in the set along with three from Dykstra to propel the Panthers to a 25-15 victory in set one with UNI hit .343 with 14 team kills.
After trailing the Beacons 5-4 in the start of set two, Dykstra rattled off three straight kills to shift the momentum back in the Panthers favor. At set point, Valparaiso would score on three straight kills to cut the UNI lead back to nine points. Hartman would slam the door with a termination to give UNI a 25-15 victory in set two, with the Panthers hitting .382 with 16 team kills. Dykstra led the offense with five kills in the set, followed by four terminations from Clubb and three from Hartman.
UNI coasted in set three, with Calia Clubb rallying three straight kills for the Panthers offense to start the stanza. Clubb posted a set-high six kills followed by three from Hartman en route to a 25-17 victory to complete the sweep as the Panthers posted 15 kills as a team on .367 hitting.
Hartman finished the night with efficient numbers, totaling 13 kills with only one attack error and .444 hitting along with seven digs and three blocks. Clubb tied her season-high with 12 terminations as Dykstra notched 11 kills, three aces and three blocks, plus five kills and three blocks from Hannam. Maryn Bixby added two blocks on defense, with Reese Booth notching 31 assists and six digs and a match-high 22 digs from Jadyn Petersen.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- UNI improves to 22-4 all-time against Valparaiso, as well at 16-4 vs. the Beacons under head coach Bobbi Petersen. The Panthers have won their last eight meetings against Valparaiso.
- Northern Iowa extended its regular season conference winning streak (59) and overall conference winning streak (67), both the longest active streaks in Division I. The Panthers are now two MVC wins shy of tying their own program and conference record for consecutive overall wins against league opponents.
- The Panthers have posted seven or more blocks in 16 of 18 matches this season and at least two blocks in every contest this year.
- UNI improves to 10-2 this year (28-5 all-time) when Cassidy Hartman and Lily Dykstra both post ten or more kills.
- Head coach Bobbi Petersen now sits six wins shy of her 400th career win in MVC regular season play.
- Setter Reese Booth saw her 12-match double-double streak snapped on Friday, ending the longest double-double streak in program history in the 25-point rally scoring era (since 2008).
- Grace Hannam has tallied at least two blocks in all but one match this year.
UP NEXT
The Panthers return to action on Saturday afternoon as they host the UIC Flames in MVC action. First serve is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT inside the McLeod Center with live coverage available on ESPN+ and the Panther Sports Radio Network (106.5 Corn Country / 93.5 HD-2 / Varsity app).
Tickets can be purchased through the UNI Ticket Office or by calling 319-273-4849. Fans in attendance are encouraged to wear black for the team's annual Black Out Match.
UNI volleyball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Volleyball), X (@UNIVolleyball) and on Instagram (@univolleyball). The full schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
