University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
8-5,2-0MVC
Murray State
2-12,0-2MVC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murray St. | 13 | 10 | 9 | 0 |
| UNI | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Panther volleyball rolls to three-set home sweep over Murray State
9/26/2026 3:26:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
UNI outmatches Racers in home MVC matchup. Panthers visit Illinois State, Bradley next week.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — All 16 of UNI volleyball's dressed athletes saw the floor on Saturday afternoon as the Panthers cruised in an impressive three-set sweep of the Murray State Racers inside the McLeod Center in Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) action.
Northern Iowa finished the match with a team hitting percentage of .33 with 37 total team kills and only seven attack errors, with the Panther defense posting ten blocks and nine service aces.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Panthers jumped out to an early lead on the Racers in set one and pulled away from Murray State after a 5-5 tie with a 5-0 scoring run, never looking back. Northern Iowa hit an impressive .316 with 14 team terminations and only two attack errors, with Reese Booth dishing out three service aces, including Kiana Landers' first two career aces in a dominant 25-13 win.
Northern Iowa recovered from an early deficit to begin the second stanza and cruised to another strong performance in the second stanza, recording a .455 team hitting percentage with 12 team kills. Booth added her fourth ace of the match to extend UNI's double-digit lead as both Kamryn Vogt and Dykstra tallied four kills each in a 25-10 set victory.
The Panthers carried their energy into a dominant third set with the offense hitting .258 with 11 team terminations. UNI led from start to finish in the final frame with Dykstra leading the charge and Grace Hannam leading Northern Iowa's blocking defense with three blocks in a 25-9 win for the straight sets win.
Dykstra finished the match with a match-high ten kills on .375 hitting with three blocks and one ace, with Hartman notching seven terminations and 14 digs. Maryn Bixby tallied five kills and a match-high six blocks, while Vogt finished with four kills. Hannam posted three kills and three blocks, as Booth notched a 31-assist, 11-dig double-double with a career-high five aces. Defensively, Jadyn Petersen led the day with 22 digs.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- UNI remains undefeated all-time against Murray State, improving to 8-0 all-time against the Racers, as well as 7-0 since MSU joined the MVC in 2022.
- Northern Iowa has now won 54 consecutive MVC regular season matches dating back to the 2023 season (second-longest active streak in Division I, as well as 62 straight contests against MVC opponents in the regular season and postseason, the longest active streak in Division I volleyball.
- The Panther defense has now notched seven matches with ten or more blocks, including ten-plus blocks in three straight outings. UNI has posted seven-plus blocks in 12 of 13 matches this season and at least two blocks in every contest this year.
- Payton Askelsen and Maggie Michaels both made their collegiate debuts in Saturday's match, while Kamryn Vogt made her season debut. Askelsen finished with one dig in her first match with the Panthers, as Vogt notched a career-high four kills and one block assist.
- Lily Dykstra recorded her 11th match of the season with ten or more kills, including her 41st such match of her career.
- Reese Booth posted her eighth consecutive double-double, her 11th of the year and 23rd of her career.
- Jadyn Petersen has not committed a reception error in ten consecutive matches, maintaining her season reception percentage to .995. She also surpassed 700 career digs in Saturday's match.
- Grace Hannam has recorded at least two blocks in all 13 matches this year. Maryn Bixby meanwhile has tallied three or more blocks in 11 contests this season.
UP NEXT
The Panthers return to action next Thursday, Oct. 1 on the road against the Illinois State Redbirds. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT at CEFCU Arena with live coverage available on ESPN+ and the Panther Sports Radio Network (106.5 Corn Country / 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.
