University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
Georgia Tech
UNI volleyball set to open 2026 season at Cyclone Invitational
8/26/2026 1:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Panthers to face two teams receiving votes in national polls to begin new season in Ames.
UNI volleyball (0-0 / 0-0 MVC) vs. RV Georgia Tech (0-0 / 0-0 ACC)
- Friday, Aug. 28, 2026
- 4 p.m. CT
- Ames, Iowa | Hilton Coliseum (14,384)
- WATCH (ESPN+) [Evan Wessling: Play-by-Play / Noah Sever: Analyst)
- LISTEN (Panther Sports Radio Network) [Chris Kleinhans-Schulz: Play-by-Play / Jay Grassley: Analyst]
- LIVE RESULTS
UNI volleyball (0-0 / 0-0 MVC) vs. Loyola-Chicago (0-0 / 0-0 A-10)
- Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026
- 1:30 p.m. CT
- Ames, Iowa | Hilton Coliseum (14,384)
- WATCH (ESPN+) [Abby Altman: Play-by-Play / Alexa Bedford: Analyst)
- LISTEN (Panther Sports Radio Network) [Chris Kleinhans-Schulz: Play-by-Play / Jay Grassley: Analyst]
- LIVE RESULTS
UNI volleyball (0-0 / 0-0 MVC) at RV Iowa State (0-0 / 0-0 Big 12)
- Sunday, Aug. 30, 2026
- 2 p.m. CT
- Ames, Iowa | Hilton Coliseum (14,384)
- WATCH (ESPN+) [Noah Wolf: Play-by-Play / Abby Greiman: Analyst)
- LISTEN (Panther Sports Radio Network) [Chris Kleinhans-Schulz: Play-by-Play / Jay Grassley: Analyst]
- LIVE RESULTS
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- The 53rd season of UNI volleyball will officially kick off this weekend at the four-time defending Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) regular season and tournament champions open the 2026 at the Cyclone Invitational in Ames against Georgia Tech, Loyola-Chicago and in-state rival Iowa State.
First serve for Friday's match against the Yellow Jackets is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT, with Saturday's contest with the Ramblers slated for 1:30 p.m. CT. The Panthers will close out the weekend Sunday against the Cyclones at 2 p.m. CT. All matches will be streamed live on ESPN+, with live radio coverage of all three matches on the Panthers Sports Radio Network (106.5 Corn Country / 93.5 HD-2 / Varsity app) with Chris Kleinhans-Schulz and Jay Grassley on the call.
Northern Iowa leads the all-time series against two of its three season-opening opponents, including a 22-4 record against Loyola-Chicago, a 36-32 mark against Iowa State and a 1-1 series tie with Georgia Tech. The Panthers are 17-9 in regular season openers under head coach Bobbi Petersen and 32-20 in the first match of the season all-time.
Opening the season in-state in consecutive years for the first time since 1987 and 1988, the Panthers enter the year receiving votes in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA)/Taraflex Preseason Coaches Poll. UNI was also picked to finish first in the MVC preseason poll with nine of 11 first-place votes on Monday.
In addition to topping the conference's preseason poll, four Panthers were named to the Preseason All-MVC Team, including reigning MVC Player of the Year Cassidy Hartman, 2025 first team all-conference selections Lily Dykstra and Maryn Bixby, and Second Team All-MVC defensive specialist/libero Jadyn Petersen.
Northern Iowa returns 16 athletes from its 2025 roster, including seven players who appeared in all 32 matches (Taryn Rice, Reese Booth, Isabelle Elliott, Hartman, Bixby, Dykstra, Petersen). Hartman will seek to become the league's first repeat player of the year since Missouri State's Lily Johnson won three straight (2015-17). The senior outside hitter sits 108 kills shy of 1,000 for her career.
Dykstra returns for her senior season after a breakout 2025 campaign where she posted 19 matches with ten or more kills, including a career-high 25 kills against Utah in the NCAA Tournament.
Middle blocker Bixby ranked second on the Panther roster with 119 blocks in her first season of college volleyball in 2025, third-most in the MVC. Her 109 block assists were the most on the UNI roster a year ago.
Junior setter Reese Booth became the 15th player in Panther history to surpass 1,000 career assists last year, while also notching ten of her 12 career double-doubles.
Senior opposite Calia Clubb returns to the floor after missing the majority of the 2025 season with an injury. The Tiffin, Iowa native saw action in nine matches with 63 total kills, 15 digs and 15 blocks last year.
The Panthers also welcomed two high school signees from out of state in Illinois libero Maggie Michaels and South Dakota setter Claire Munch.
SCOUTING GEORGIA TECH
The Panthers matchup with the Yellow Jackets for the first time in 20 years, in search of their first win in the series since 2002. Georgia Tech, led by 13th year head coach Michelle Collier, finished with a 16-14 record a year ago, sixth in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) with an 11-9 mark and fell to UCLA in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
Led by middle blocker Garibaldi, the Yellow Jackets were picked sixth in the ACC's preseason poll. Garibaldi ranked top-20 in the national and second in the ACC in 2025 with a .417 hitting percentage, along with 139 total blocks.
SCOUTING LOYOLA-CHICAGO
UNI will face off with the Ramblers for the first time since Loyola-Chicago's departure from the MVC to the Atlantic-10 Conference following the 2021-22 season. Led by ninth year head coach Amanda Berkley, the Ramblers are coming off their third A-10 Tournament title in the last four seasons and a first round appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
With Loyola-Chicago picked second in the A-10 preseason poll behind Dayton, the Ramblers return a strong squad of veterans, led by middle blocker and Second Team A-10 selection Avary DeBlieck, who finished 2025 in the top-ten in Division I with 168 total blocks. Libero Sam Falk also returns with a strong service game with 50 aces last year.
SCOUTING IOWA STATE
The Panthers will seek their third straight victory over the Cyclones on Sunday after a 3-1 win in Cedar Falls last September. Led by 21st year head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch, Iowa State tied for third in the Big 12 Conference a year ago at 12-6 and 23-8 overall, reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to Minnesota.
The Cyclones, picked sixth in the Big 12 preseason poll, are led by reigning Big 12 Libero of the Year and 2026 preseason all-conference selection Rachel Van Gorp, who notably finished second in the league with 4.7 digs per set. Iowa State also returns a pair of 2025 Big 12 All-Rookie Team performers in Reagan Hanfelt and Alea Goolsby.
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.
