University of Northern Iowa Athletics
History & Memorable Moments
Oct. 5, 1974 – UNI plays its first-ever match in program history in a tournament in Ames against Iowa State. The Panthers would grab their first win in school history at the same tournament against Grand View.
1975 – Under the leadership of inaugural head coach Sharon Huddleston, the Panthers go unbeaten in their second-ever season with a 15-0-2 record with ties to Drake and William Penn.
1978 – Carol Gruber succeeds Sharon Huddleston as head coach, beginning a three-year tenure that would see her compile a 75-54-12 record, including a then-program record 32 wins in her final season in 1980.
1981 – The Dr. Iradge Ahrabi-Fard era begins at UNI as he leads the Panthers to 503 career wins in 19 seasons, along with eight NCAA Tournament berths, three NIVC Tournament appearances, ten conference regular season titles and eight conference tournament crowns.
Sept. 14, 1985 – Sylvia Eder records the program’s first-ever triple-double with 24 kills, 14 digs and 16 blocks against Eastern Illinois.
1986 – With an 8-1 record in the Gateway Conference, the Panthers win their first conference regular season and tournament championships after posting a 30-3 record. UNI also made its first NCAA Tournament appearance, falling to Illinois in the first round.
1986 – Lisa Meeker becomes the first UNI attacker to surpass 1,000 career kills. Since then, the Panthers’ 1,000 career kill club has grown to 31 athletes.
1987 – Mary Bernhardt is named Gateway Conference Player of the Year, the first of 14 conference player of the year winners in team history.
Nov. 11, 1989 – Bobbi Becker, the future head coach of the Panthers sets a new conference record with a 40-kill performance against Illinois State in a five-set loss to Illinois State. Her record has been matched only once since.
Nov. 6, 1991 – Dawn Meester lights up Winona State with a single-match school record 13 service aces in a four-set victory.
1993 – After a 24-6 campaign, the Panthers make a deep run in their third NIVC Tournament appearance, joining LSU, Baylor and Utah in the semifinal round.
Nov. 30, 1994 – Led by four All-MVC selections, UNI wins its first-ever NCAA Tournament game in a three-set sweep of Rider in Boulder, Colorado.
1997 – Former Panther standout Bobbi Petersen steps in as interim head coach of the program while Iradge Ahrabi-Fard serves as a consultant for USA Volleyball. UNI goes 18-9 overall under Petersen and finishes second in the MVC with a 13-5 record.
1999 – After a perfect 28-0 run through the regular season and MVC Tournament, UNI reached the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time with wins over Ball State and Indiana in Clemson, South Carolina. Head coach Iradge Ahrabi-Fard is named AVCA National Coach of the Year.
Dec. 3, 1999 – Northern Iowa sets a new school record with its 30th straight victory, coming against Indiana in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
2001 – Bobbi Petersen succeeds Iradge Ahrabi-Fard as the full-time head coach of the Panther volleyball team, commencing a two decade plus career that sees her become the MVC’s all-time winningest coach, be named conference coach of the year a record eight time, reach 17 NCAA Tournament and much more.
Dec. 1, 2001 – After outlasting Minnesota in a five-set battle, the Panthers reach their second NCAA Sweet Sixteen in two years, setting up a date with top-ranked Long Beach State. The win would elevate the purple and gold to its highest ever AVCA poll ranking in team history at No. 6.
Nov. 24, 2002 – Posting a 17-1 league record, UNI sweeps Southern Illinois to win its five consecutive MVC Tournament championship, a streak that remains untouched to this day.
Nov. 30, 2002 – A week after clinching the MVC Tournament crown, the Panthers score their biggest ranked win in program history at No. 3 Florida in five sets as part of the SEC Challenge ahead of the NCAA Tournament.
Dec. 7, 2002 – In front of a packed West Gym, the Panthers take down No. 20 Missouri in five sets to earn a trip to their third NCAA Sweet Sixteen to face No. 10 Washington State.
2003 – Middle blocker Molly O’Brien breaks the program’s all-time kills record, finishing her Panther career with 1,779 terminations. Setter Jill Arganbright also sets the school record for career assists (6,064).
Sept. 18, 2004 – The Panthers extend their home winning streak to 74 matches inside the West Gym.
Nov. 18, 2006 – After 32 years playing in the West Gym, the Panthers make the move to the McLeod Center and defeat Bradley in three sets in their first match in their new arena.
2006 – After a two-year hiatus, the Panthers return to the NCAA Tournament in the first of seven straight appearances, the longest stretch of reaching the national tournament in school history.
2007 – Danielle Brazda moves ahead of Molly O’Brien as UNI’s all-time leading blocker, finishing her senior season with 729 career blocks.
2010 – Ellie Blankenship breaks Stephanie May’s program record for career digs, finishing her collegiate career with 2,656 digs on defense.
2011 – Bre Payton joins Molly O’Brien as the program’s second three-peat winner of the MVC Player of the Year award.
2011 – UNI caps a dominant three-year stretch with three straight MVC regular season and tournament championships, as well as three consecutive unbeaten MVC seasons for a 54-match conference winning streak.
Nov. 16, 2013 – In a four-set win on the road against Indiana State, the Panthers secure the program’s 1,000th all-time win.
Aug. 25, 2018 – The Panthers upset No. 5 Kentucky in a five-set dual on the final day of the USC Tournament in Los Angeles, the program’s 25th all-time win over an AVCA top-25 challenger.
Oct. 25, 2019 – Bobbi Petersen wins her 500th career match in a road sweep at Indiana State, joining her coach and predecessor Iradge Ahrabi-Fard as the only two coaches in MVC history to reach 500 career victories.
2021 – Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the fall 2020 season is moved to the winter and early spring months of 2021. The Panthers post a 9-13 overall record in the abbreviated season.
2022 – After missing the MVC Tournament for the first time in program history a year earlier, the Panthers record the biggest single-season turnaround in league history to capture the MVC’s regular season title with a 17-1 conference mark and rally to defeat Drake for the MVC Tournament championship. Head coach Bobbi Petersen also ties Iradge Ahrabi-Fard with her seventh MVC Coach of the Year honor.
2023 – All-conference outside hitter Emily Holterhaus sets a new program record with 4,771 career attack attempts.
Oct. 6, 2023 – In a 3-0 sweep at Evansville, the Panthers record the program’s 1,200th all-time win.
1975 – Under the leadership of inaugural head coach Sharon Huddleston, the Panthers go unbeaten in their second-ever season with a 15-0-2 record with ties to Drake and William Penn.
1978 – Carol Gruber succeeds Sharon Huddleston as head coach, beginning a three-year tenure that would see her compile a 75-54-12 record, including a then-program record 32 wins in her final season in 1980.
1981 – The Dr. Iradge Ahrabi-Fard era begins at UNI as he leads the Panthers to 503 career wins in 19 seasons, along with eight NCAA Tournament berths, three NIVC Tournament appearances, ten conference regular season titles and eight conference tournament crowns.
Sept. 14, 1985 – Sylvia Eder records the program’s first-ever triple-double with 24 kills, 14 digs and 16 blocks against Eastern Illinois.
1986 – With an 8-1 record in the Gateway Conference, the Panthers win their first conference regular season and tournament championships after posting a 30-3 record. UNI also made its first NCAA Tournament appearance, falling to Illinois in the first round.
1986 – Lisa Meeker becomes the first UNI attacker to surpass 1,000 career kills. Since then, the Panthers’ 1,000 career kill club has grown to 31 athletes.
1987 – Mary Bernhardt is named Gateway Conference Player of the Year, the first of 14 conference player of the year winners in team history.
Nov. 11, 1989 – Bobbi Becker, the future head coach of the Panthers sets a new conference record with a 40-kill performance against Illinois State in a five-set loss to Illinois State. Her record has been matched only once since.
Nov. 6, 1991 – Dawn Meester lights up Winona State with a single-match school record 13 service aces in a four-set victory.
1993 – After a 24-6 campaign, the Panthers make a deep run in their third NIVC Tournament appearance, joining LSU, Baylor and Utah in the semifinal round.
Nov. 30, 1994 – Led by four All-MVC selections, UNI wins its first-ever NCAA Tournament game in a three-set sweep of Rider in Boulder, Colorado.
1997 – Former Panther standout Bobbi Petersen steps in as interim head coach of the program while Iradge Ahrabi-Fard serves as a consultant for USA Volleyball. UNI goes 18-9 overall under Petersen and finishes second in the MVC with a 13-5 record.
1999 – After a perfect 28-0 run through the regular season and MVC Tournament, UNI reached the Sweet Sixteen round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time with wins over Ball State and Indiana in Clemson, South Carolina. Head coach Iradge Ahrabi-Fard is named AVCA National Coach of the Year.
Dec. 3, 1999 – Northern Iowa sets a new school record with its 30th straight victory, coming against Indiana in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
2001 – Bobbi Petersen succeeds Iradge Ahrabi-Fard as the full-time head coach of the Panther volleyball team, commencing a two decade plus career that sees her become the MVC’s all-time winningest coach, be named conference coach of the year a record eight time, reach 17 NCAA Tournament and much more.
Dec. 1, 2001 – After outlasting Minnesota in a five-set battle, the Panthers reach their second NCAA Sweet Sixteen in two years, setting up a date with top-ranked Long Beach State. The win would elevate the purple and gold to its highest ever AVCA poll ranking in team history at No. 6.
Nov. 24, 2002 – Posting a 17-1 league record, UNI sweeps Southern Illinois to win its five consecutive MVC Tournament championship, a streak that remains untouched to this day.
Nov. 30, 2002 – A week after clinching the MVC Tournament crown, the Panthers score their biggest ranked win in program history at No. 3 Florida in five sets as part of the SEC Challenge ahead of the NCAA Tournament.
Dec. 7, 2002 – In front of a packed West Gym, the Panthers take down No. 20 Missouri in five sets to earn a trip to their third NCAA Sweet Sixteen to face No. 10 Washington State.
2003 – Middle blocker Molly O’Brien breaks the program’s all-time kills record, finishing her Panther career with 1,779 terminations. Setter Jill Arganbright also sets the school record for career assists (6,064).
Sept. 18, 2004 – The Panthers extend their home winning streak to 74 matches inside the West Gym.
Nov. 18, 2006 – After 32 years playing in the West Gym, the Panthers make the move to the McLeod Center and defeat Bradley in three sets in their first match in their new arena.
2006 – After a two-year hiatus, the Panthers return to the NCAA Tournament in the first of seven straight appearances, the longest stretch of reaching the national tournament in school history.
2007 – Danielle Brazda moves ahead of Molly O’Brien as UNI’s all-time leading blocker, finishing her senior season with 729 career blocks.
2010 – Ellie Blankenship breaks Stephanie May’s program record for career digs, finishing her collegiate career with 2,656 digs on defense.
2011 – Bre Payton joins Molly O’Brien as the program’s second three-peat winner of the MVC Player of the Year award.
2011 – UNI caps a dominant three-year stretch with three straight MVC regular season and tournament championships, as well as three consecutive unbeaten MVC seasons for a 54-match conference winning streak.
Nov. 16, 2013 – In a four-set win on the road against Indiana State, the Panthers secure the program’s 1,000th all-time win.
Aug. 25, 2018 – The Panthers upset No. 5 Kentucky in a five-set dual on the final day of the USC Tournament in Los Angeles, the program’s 25th all-time win over an AVCA top-25 challenger.
Oct. 25, 2019 – Bobbi Petersen wins her 500th career match in a road sweep at Indiana State, joining her coach and predecessor Iradge Ahrabi-Fard as the only two coaches in MVC history to reach 500 career victories.
2021 – Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the fall 2020 season is moved to the winter and early spring months of 2021. The Panthers post a 9-13 overall record in the abbreviated season.
2022 – After missing the MVC Tournament for the first time in program history a year earlier, the Panthers record the biggest single-season turnaround in league history to capture the MVC’s regular season title with a 17-1 conference mark and rally to defeat Drake for the MVC Tournament championship. Head coach Bobbi Petersen also ties Iradge Ahrabi-Fard with her seventh MVC Coach of the Year honor.
2023 – All-conference outside hitter Emily Holterhaus sets a new program record with 4,771 career attack attempts.
Oct. 6, 2023 – In a 3-0 sweep at Evansville, the Panthers record the program’s 1,200th all-time win.