University of Northern Iowa Athletics
10/26/2026 2:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
ST. LOUIS --- UNI senior outside hitter Cassidy Hartman and junior defensive specialist/libero Jadyn Petersen have been named the Missouri Valley Conference's (MVC) Player of the Week and Libero of the Week respectively, as announced by the league office on Monday afternoon.
The selection marks Hartman's third time earning the honor this season (Sept. 7, Oct. 13) and sixth weekly conference honor of her career. Petersen also earns her third MVC Libero of the Week award of the season. UNI has now been recognized with at least one conference weekly honor in eight of the nine weeks of the 2026 season.
A North Liberty native, Hartman led the Panther offense with 32 total kills (5.3 per set) in home sweeps over Evansville and Bradley, helping UNI improve to a perfect 10-0 in league play. The reigning MVC Player of the Year posted double-digit kill figures in both outings, including her fourth 20+ kill performance of the season with 22 terminations against the Braves. Hitting .467 for the weekend, Hartman also dished out a pair of service aces versus Bradley.
Dike, Iowa native Petersen led the Panther defense with 4.3 digs per set in Northern Iowa's weekend sweeps. She posted double-digit digs in both outings, including 16 digs against Bradley, while also dishing out a service ace in both matches. Posting a .955 reception percentage for the weekend on 22 attempts, Petersen, the MVC's leader in digs per frame (4.9), has notched a season reception percentage of .988 with only four errors on 328 attempts.
In addition to Hartman and Petersen, Belmont's Erin McMullen was named the MVC's Defensive Player of the Week.
Hartman, Petersen and the Panthers return to action on Friday, Oct. 30 when they visit Indiana State at 5 p.m. CT. Live coverage of the match can be found ESPN+ and the Panther Sports Radio Network (UNIpanthers.com / Varsity Network app). Radio coverage for Friday's contest will only be available online.
UNI volleyball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Volleyball), X (@UNIVolleyball) and on Instagram (@univolleyball). The full 2026 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
