University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
4-4,0-0MVC
Rice
5-3,0-0American
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNI | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
| Rice | 18 | 20 | 23 | 0 |
Panther volleyball drops four-set battle to No. 15 Creighton
9/11/2026 5:36:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
UNI takes a set from Big East champions in opener of Rice Invitational.
HOUSTON — UNI volleyball racked up 11 blocks and put together a strong third set performance against No. 15 Creighton, but ultimately fell short against the reigning Big East Conference champions in a 3-1 loss on Friday in the opening match of the Rice Invitational at Tudor Fieldhouse.
In a defensive match saw both the Panthers and Bluejays struggle offensively and at the service line in a rematch of last season's NCAA Tournament second round showdown, Northern Iowa was held to a .000 attack percentage despite double-double performances from both Cassidy Hartman and Reese Booth, as well as a season-high tying four service aces.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UNI bounced back from an early 4-0 deficit in the opening set with its own four-point run, but the Bluejay offense would continue to cause trouble for the Panthers. Putting UNI out of system with five blocks, Creighton held the Panthers to nine kills with 12 attack errors on -.081 hitting as well as three service errors en route to a 25-16 set win. Hartman led Northern Iowa with four terminations in the first frame.
Friday's second stanza began much like the first as UNI closed the gap after a quick Bluejay run to open the set with the Panthers tying the frame up at 6-6. UNI's blocking defense showed improvement with five stops at the net, but the Panthers continued to struggle to break Creighton's net defense, which itself tallied five blocks. Jadyn Petersen gave the Panthers a service ace midway through the set, but UNI's offense continued to struggle with nine attack errors on -.114 hitting in a 25-17 loss.
Northern Iowa turned the tide of the match in the third set as its offense began to find rhythm and success against a slowed Creighton defense. The Panthers seized their first lead of the match as part of a 4-0 scoring run, aided by a Petersen ace, with the run extending to 6-0 for a 15-9 UNI lead. With Grace Hannam, Calia Clubb and Lily Dykstra all finding their rhythm on offense, UNI hit .231 with 15 team terminations to take a 25-15 set win.
Offensive struggles returned for the Panthers in set four despite a valiant effort from the purple and gold. Northern Iowa would cut a six-point Bluejay lead down to two at 16-14 with a 4-0 run with Hartman leading the charge with five kills in set, but 11 attack errors and a -.042 hitting clip in the frame would plague the Panthers in their comeback attempt, falling by a score of 25-19.
Hartman finished the afternoon with a match-high 20 kills on a career-best 70 attack attempts and six blocks, while Dykstra tallying eight kills, 11 digs and one ace. Booth posted a 31-assist, ten-dig double-double, as Petersen led with a team-high 20 digs and two aces. Defensively, Maryn Bixby posted a season-high seven blocks.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- UNI falls to 42-19 all-time against the Bluejays. Creighton has now won the last ten meetings in the series.
- Cassidy Hartman recorded her 28th career double-double on Friday and fifth of the season, as well as her ninth career match of 20+ kills (third this season).
- Hartman also jumped to 28th on the program's all-time kills list with her 1,026th career termination, passing Denise Cutell (1987-90), Inga Rotto (2018-22), Stacy Makoben (1989-92) and Jill Schoeberl (1992-95).
- Reese Booth notched her 17th career double-double in Friday's loss, her fifth of the 2026 season. Booth also passed Molly Turk (2009-12) for 14th on UNI's all-time assists list with 1,542.
UP NEXT
The Panthers return to action on Saturday afternoon as they take on Rice in their second match of the Rice Invitational. First serve is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT at Tudor Fieldhouse in Houston 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.
