University of Northern Iowa Athletics
UNI volleyball sweeps MVC weekly honors
9/7/2026 2:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Hartman, Hannam and Petersen recognized for play at South Dakota Classic.
ST. LOUIS --- The UNI volleyball team swept all three of the Missouri Valley Conference's (MVC) weekly awards on Monday, as announced by the league office.
Senior outside hitter Cassidy Hartman was selected as the MVC Player of the Week for the first time this season and fourth time in her career, with sophomore middle blocker Grace Hannam being named MVC Defensive Player of the Week, her first career honor. Junior Jadyn Petersen was also named the MVC's Libero of the Week for a second consecutive week.
The selections come after the Panthers took two of three matches at the South Dakota Classic last week, including victories over Air Force and Utah Valley before a five-set loss to host South Dakota.
Hartman, a North Liberty, Iowa native, led Northern Iowa with 5.58 kills per set on .336 hitting with 4.25 digs per frame last week. Against Air Force, she posted 26 kills and a career-high 27 digs, recording UNI's first 20-20 match since 2023, along with the most digs in a 20-20 match by a Panther since 1993.
Hartman elevated her game to the next level against South Dakota with a career-high 31 terminations, the most kills by a UNI player since 2018. In the process, the reigning MVC Player of the Year became the 32nd player in team history to surpass 1,000 career kills. Hartman currently ranks fifth nationally with 114 total kills this season.
Hannam, a Cedar Falls native, led UNI with 15 total blocks at the South Dakota Classic, averaging 1.2 blocks per set. She recorded six blocks against Air Force and has posted at least four blocks in each of her first six matches this year, starting all six contests for the Panthers. Hannam currently leads the MVC and ranks 30th in Division I with 30 total blocks on the season.
Petersen, a Dike, Iowa native, notched 5.75 digs per set in South Dakota, posting a pair of 20+ dig performances, including a career-high 28 digs against Air Force. With three total service aces on the weekend, she also recorded a perfect reception percentage at the event on 55 attempts, notably having committed just one receiving error on the season so far. Petersen currently ranks 20th in the nation with 112 digs this year.
Hartman, Hannam, Petersen and the Panthers return to action on Friday as UNI heads to Houston for the Rice Invitational, kicking off tournament action against Creighton at 3 p.m. CT. Live coverage of the match can be found on ESPN+ and the Panther Sports Radio Network (106.5 FM Corn Country / 93.5 HD-2).
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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.
