University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
7-5,1-0MVC
Drake
5-8,0-1MVC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UNI | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
| Drake | 13 | 21 | 21 | 0 |
UNI volleyball sweeps Drake in MVC opener on the road
9/22/2026 8:05:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Panthers extend regular season conference winning streak to 53 matches. UNI hosts Murray State on Saturday.
DES MOINES, Iowa — The UNI volleyball team won its sixth consecutive Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) opener on Tuesday night with a 3-0 sweep of in-state rival Drake at the Knapp Center.
In a rematch of last year's MVC Tournament championship, Northern Iowa's offense found a rhythm on a .214 team hitting percentage and 41 team kills, while posting ten team blocks. UNI has now won its last ten meetings against the Bulldogs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After a tight start to the opening set where the Bulldogs defended well off the Panther attack, UNI jumped out to a commanding lead on the backs of highly efficient attacks, hitting .476 in the set with 12 team kills and only two attack errors. Reigning MVC Player of the Week Lily Dykstra led the charge with six kills, while Maryn Bixby posted a pair of blocks as UNI rolled to a 25-13 opening set victory.
Tuesday's second stanza turned into another narrow, back-and-forth battle early as Northern Iowa and Drake split the first 24 points of the set with eight ties and five lead changes. The Panthers would take control with a 6-0 scoring run with a strong run on offense, plus a dominant defensive effort that included six total blocks by UNI in the set. Despite hitting only .100 in the frame with 13 team kills, the Panthers held on late for a 25-21 set win and a two-set lead in the match.
After an early 4-4 tie to begin the third set, Northern Iowa pulled away on a 6-1 run, which included three consecutive service aces from Taryn Rice. UNI was held to .196 hitting with 16 team terminations, but held Drake's improving offensive attack in check with eight kills on .056 hitting, holding off the Bulldogs late for a second straight 25-21 set win to secure the three-set sweep.
Dykstra finished the night with a match-high 15 kills on .238 hitting and two blocks, with Hartman notching 13 kills and 11 digs, along with three blocks. Isabelle Elliott notched six terminations and three blocks, with both Grace Hannam and Bixby notching five blocks each. Reese Booth tallied a 31-assist, 12-dig double-double, as Jadyn Petersen tallied 18 digs and nine digs.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- UNI improves to 97-16-2 all-time against Drake with its tenth consecutive win in the series.
- Northern Iowa has now won 53 consecutive MVC regular season matches dating back to the 2023 season (second-longest active streak in Division I, as well as 61 straight contests against MVC opponents in the regular season and postseason, the longest active streak in Division I volleyball.
- The Panther defense notched its sixth match with ten or more blocks on Tuesday night. UNI has posted seven-plus blocks in 11 of 12 matches this season and at least two blocks in every contest this year.
- Both Cassidy Hartman and Lily Dykstra posted double-digit kills for the eighth time this year. UNI is 6-2 this season when both hitters record ten or more terminations in the same match, and since both stepped on campus in 2023.
- Hartman posted her tenth match this season and 52nd of her career with ten or more kills. She also jumped to 26th on UNI's all-time kills list with 1,089, passing Holly Van Hofwegen (1996-99).
- Hartman also tallied her seventh double-double of the year and 30th of her career on Tuesday at Drake.
- Dyksta has now posted ten-plus kills in 11 matches this season and 40 times in her career.
- Reese Booth has recorded a double-double in seven consecutive matches, as well as ten times this year and 22 times in her three-year career.
- Grace Hannam has posted at least two blocks in all 12 matches this year, while Maryn Bixby has put up at least two blocks in seven of her eight matches this season.
UP NEXT
The Panthers return to action on Saturday afternoon when they host the Murray State Racers. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT at the McLeod Center.
Due to home football, Saturday's match will not be televised. Live coverage of all the action can be found on the Panther Sports Radio Network (106.5 Corn Country / Varsity app).
Tickets for the match can be purchased online through the UNI Ticket Office or by calling 319-273-4849. Fans planning to attend UNI's home football game can use their football ticket to attend the volleyball match.
Fans are encouraged to wear lavender for the team's Lavender Out match in support of the fight against all forms of cancer. Lavender shirts and pom poms will be given away while supplies last.
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.
