University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
0-1,0-0MVC
Georgia Tech
1-0,0-0ACC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNI | 22 | 21 | 17 | 0 |
| Georgia Tech | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Panther volleyball drops season opener to Georgia Tech in straight sets
8/28/2026 6:08:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
UNI challenge Yellow Jackets late in first two sets but falls short.
AMES, Iowa — The UNI volleyball team gave the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets a late challenge in the first two sets, but would ultimately fall short in all three frames on Friday as the Panthers kicked off the 2026 season with a 3-0 loss in the opening match of the Cyclone Invitational at Hilton Coliseum.
Northern Iowa found challenges in slowing Georgia Tech's stout blocking defense and strong service game, being held to a .036 team hitting percentage with 30 total kills in the match.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Panthers struggled early to break through Georgia Tech's blocking defense while also pushing multiple attacks long, finishing the first set with 14 kills on a .108 hitting clip. Despite the Yellow Jackets building as large as an eight-point lead, the Panthers pushed their opponent late in the frame with a 6-0 scoring run before falling short in a 25-22 loss.
Georgia Tech jumped out to a 6-1 lead to open the second stanza, but Northern Iowa, with improved blocking defense with five stops at the net, would close the gap as the set continued, including pulling within one point of the Yellow Jackets at 17-16. Claire Munch and Grace Hannam would record their first career blocks in the frame, but the Panthers would be held to only seven kills on -.026 hitting with Georgia Tech holding on for a 25-21 win and a two set lead.
UNI challenged the Yellow Jackets early in the third set by attacking well off the Georgia Tech block with ties at 6-6 and 7-7. The Yellow Jackets would however contain the Panther block and offensive attack in the final frame, holding Northern Iowa to a .029 hitting clip with nine kills and eight attack errors, pulling away late for a 25-17 win and a three-set sweep over the Panthers.
Lily Dykstra led the match with 13 kills for Northern Iowa, with Cassidy Hartman notching nine terminations and nine digs, while Isabelle Elliott tallied five terminations. Reese Booth posted 23 assists, as Jadyn Petersen recorded 12 digs, with a career-high 11 digs from Taryn Rice.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- Georgia Tech now leads the all-time series, 2-1. Friday marked the first meeting between the two programs since 2006.
- UNI falls to 32-21 all-time in season opening matches, including 17-10 in season openers under head coach Bobbi Petersen.
- Friday's loss snapped the Panthers' 19-match regular season winning streak that dated back to last season. UNI's loss was its first regular season defeat since Sept. 14, 2025 at Creighton.
- Lily Dykstra recorded her 27th career match with ten or more kills on Friday afternoon.
- Cassidy Hartman tallied her 900th career kills against Georgia Tech. The reigning Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Player of the Year sits 99 kills shy of becoming the 32nd player in team history to reach 1,000 career terminations.
- Three Panthers made their collegiate debuts on Friday in Grace Hannam, Claire Munch and Sophie Buysse. Hannam and Munch also got their first career starts in the match.
UP NEXT
The Panthers return to action on Saturday afternoon when they take on Loyola-Chicago in their second match of the Cyclone Invitational. First serve is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. CT at Hilton Coliseum with live coverage available on ESPN+ and the Panther Sports Radio Network (106.5 Corn Country / 93.5 HD-2 / Varsity app).
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.
