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Women's Volleyball
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- bobbi.petersen@uni.edu
- Phone:
- (319) 273-7170
When thinking about the tradition-filled history of UNI volleyball, few names jump out like Bobbi Petersen’s. A former standout on the court for UNI - and arguably the greatest player in the school’s history - she has continued her connection with the Purple and Old Gold as both an assistant coach and as the head coach. Under her guidance, she has taken UNI volleyball from its usual standard of excellence to a tier among the nation’s elite programs.
Petersen completed her 25th season as the Panther head coach in 2024. Petersen has posted an impressive 609-217 record at the helm of the UNI program. Petersen has guided UNI to 18 NCAA Tournament appearances. She has tallied 12 Missouri Valley Conference regular season titles, 12 MVC Tournament crowns and two NCAA “Sweet Sixteen” appearances to her credit. Petersen has been named MVC Coach of the Year a record nine times (2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024). Petersen has also earned AVCA All-Region Coach of the Year honors four times (2001, 2002, 2018, 2019) and took home the AVCA National Coach of the Year award in 2002. Her Panther teams have won 20 or more matches in 21 of her 25 years as head coach.
During her tenure as head coach, Petersen has coached 69 individuals earn First Team All-MVC honors including 15 conference Player of the Year winners. She has also placed 23 people on the league’s All-Freshman Teams. In addition, she has helped 37 individuals earn AVCA All-Region honors, and 16 Panthers have been named AVCA All-Americans.
Academically, the Panthers have shined under Petersen’s guidance as well. A total of 44 people have earned First Team MVC Scholar-Athlete honors during her time at the helm with 13 women earning College Sports Communicators Academic All-America honors. In 2013, UNI was the only NCAA Division I school to have two players earn Academic All-America honors as Shelby Kintzel was named to the First Team, and Macy Ubben was named to the Second Team.
UNI's 2024 season, which marked its 50th anniversary year, saw the Panthers once again reign over the MVC with its third straight regular season and conference tournament title, a conference tournament in which UNI hosted after once again leading the league in attendance. Six Panthers earned All-MVC recognition, including Kira Fallert as the Co-MVC Player of the Year and Erin Powers as Co-MVC Libero of the Year. Petersen was honored for a record ninth time as MVC Coach of the Year. Northern Iowa, for a second straight year, posted a 21-match winning streak, tied for the eighth-longest in team history and stretched its regular season winning streak against conference challengers to 36 matches, including 42 in a row against MVC opponents overall. UNI defeated Illinois in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Lousiville, the program's 17th all-time win in the big dance before pushing No. 4 Louisville to the brink in a narrow five-set loss.
Northern Iowa posted an unbeaten conference record under Petersen for the fourth time in 2023 as the Panthers repeated as both MVC regular season and tournament champions, returning to the NCAA Tournament for the 25th time in school history. Led by five All-MVC and three AVCA All-Region honorees, including conference Setter of the Year and MVC Tournament MVP Tayler Alden, UNI rattled off 21 consecutive victories while leading the MVC in average home attendance with 2,628 fans per match, fourth-most in team history. Petersen also extended her conference record with her eighth MVC Coach of the Year honor, while senior outside hitter Emily Holterhaus set a new program record for career attack attempts.
UNI’s 2022 season was one for the record books as the Panthers captured their tenth MVC regular season championship with a 17-1 record, posting the greatest single-season turnaround in league history. Led by four First Team All-MVC performers including Inga Rotto and Carly Spies, along with MVC Setter of the Year Tayler Alden and conference Libero of the Year in Sydney Petersen, UNI won its tenth MVC Tournament title to earn the program’s 24th NCAA Tournament berth. The Panthers also earned the program’s first NCAA Tournament win since 2019 with a three-set sweep over Florida State. For the historic season, Petersen was named MVC Coach of the Year for a seventh time, tying her former college coach and predecessor Iradge Ahrabi-Fard for the most honors in conference history.
During the 2021 season, UNI finished with a 12-19 record, going 7-11 in league play. Junior Carly Spies was selected to the MVC Second Team as a middle blocker/outside hitter, while Kira Fallert was named to the MVC’s All-Freshman Team. Sophomore Emily Holterhaus earned MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team honors, as Spies, Payton Ahrenstorff and Inga Rotto were selected to MVC Scholar-Athlete Honorable Mention recognition.
The Fall 2020 season was moved to the spring of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Panthers finished with a 9-13 record, going 8-8 in Missouri Valley Conference play. The Spring 2021 season was the first time the Panthers finished under .500 under Petersen’s tenure as head coach. Sophomore Emily Holterhaus was named to the MVC First Team while Inga Rotto was named to the Second Team. Freshman Tayler Alden earned a spot on the All-Freshman Team.
The 2019 season saw the Panthers claim an MVC regular season title for the ninth time under Petersen. The Panthers finished with a 17-1 mark for the third time in her tenure. The Panthers earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time (2008, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2019).
The Panthers took home multiple postseason awards including Bobbi Petersen’s sixth MVC Coach of the Year honor. Karlie Taylor was named MVC Player of the Year while Rachel Koop also took home MVC Setter of the Year. Karlie Taylor, Rachel Koop, Kate Busswitz, and Kaylissa Arndorfer were all named First Team All-MVC while Kaylissa Arndorfer and Emily Holterhaus made the MVC All-Freshman Team. Rachel Koop and Abbi Staack were each named First Team Scholar-Athletes. Sophomore Inga Rotto was named the 2019 Elite 17 award winner for having the highest GPA of any competitor in the MVC Championship final.
Petersen was named the AVCA Region Coach of the Year for the fourth time with Karlie Taylor and Rachel Koop joining her as AVCA All-Region honorees. Karlie Taylor was also named a AVCA Honorable Mention All-American.
In 2018, UNI claimed victories over No. 5 Kentucky and No. 13 Creighton during a tournament at Southern California. The Panthers earned an NCAA Tournament berth and fell to Pepperdine in the first round. The team ranked second nationally in assists per set with 14.16 and kills per set with 15.00. Two individuals, Piper Thomas and Rachel Koop, earned First Team All-MVC honors.
During the 2017 campaign, UNI knocked off four ranked opponents including eventual national champion Nebraska. The Panthers earned their 21st NCAA Tournament berth and defeated ACC co-champion Louisville to reach the second round. UNI posted an NCAA 25-point-scoring-era record 2,581 digs and also led the nation in kills (1,997), kills per set (15.24), and assists (1,857). It marked the third consecutive NCAA Tournament at-large bid for the Panthers.
UNI took part in its 20th NCAA Tournament in 2016 following a season in which the Panthers posted a mark of 24-10. In 2015, UNI ranked No. 1 in the nation in total digs (2,368) and total attacks (5,131). Petersen joined an elite club of three MVC coaches to have reached 400 career victories in the 2015 season. Petersen joined Iradge Ahrabi-Fard (UNI - 503 wins) and Linda Dollar (Missouri State - 427 wins) on that illustrious coaching list.
Petersen led UNI to a share of the 2013 MVC regular season title with Wichita State. It marked the seventh regular season for Petersen as she also garnered MVC Coach of the Year honors for the fifth time in her coaching tenure. Petersen previously guided the Panthers to a seventh consecutive berth into the NCAA Tournament in 2012. The Panthers knocked off No. 25 Kansas State in the first round in a 3-0 sweep, but fell to No. 10 Nebraska in the second round.
In 2011, UNI posted a 33-2 mark and earned the No. 6 overall seed in the 2011 NCAA Tournament. UNI was a perfect 18-0 in MVC play for the third straight season. Petersen was named the MVC Coach of the Year for the fourth time in her career and third straight season. Four Panthers (Amy Braun, Michelle Burow, Krista DeGeest, and Bre Payton) earned First Team All-MVC honors. Payton was named the MVC Player of the Year for the third consecutive season. UNI defeated Niagara in the first round of the 2011 NCAA Tournament before dropping a four-set decision to Florida in the second round in the McLeod Center.
The 2010 season saw the Panthers extend their dominance in the conference posting their second straight undefeated season in league play. UNI finished with a 30-3 record and was ranked as high as No. 10 in the nation. 10 of UNI’s 30 wins came against teams selected to play in the 2010 NCAA Championship including a win over No. 8 Minnesota. Petersen was named MVC Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season. Six Panthers earned conference honors including Payton being named MVC Player of the Year and Blankenship being named the MVC Libero of the Year and MVC Tournament MVP. In addition, Blankenship was named the inaugural Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award winner for volleyball. Blankenship, Payton, and Michelle Burow also earned AVCA All-America honors.
The 2009 season was a record-breaking year for the Panthers, as Petersen led UNI to a perfect 18-0 MVC record and regular season and tournament championships. UNI finished with a 31-3 overall mark going 29 straight matches without a loss, which was the second-longest win streak in the nation. UNI advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 15th time. The Panthers advanced to the second round with a 3-0 win over Washington State in the first round of the tournament before falling to eventual “Elite Eight” team Nebraska.
Petersen was named the 2009 MVC Coach of the Year. Seven Panthers picked up conference honors, including MVC Player of the Year and MVC Tournament MVP Payton and MVC Freshman of the Year Amy Braun. Payton and Blankenship also earned AVCA All-Region and All-America accolades.
The 2008 season was another banner one for the Panthers, as Petersen guided UNI to a 25-9 record, and its ninth NCAA tournament appearance in the past 11 years. For the first time ever, UNI earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, after finishing as runner-up at the State Farm MVC Tournament. The Panthers also kept their streak alive of 20-match victory seasons, having now won at least 20 matches each of the past 11 seasons. Seniors Amy Sampson and Ashten Stelken earned first-team All-MVC honors, with Stelken being named honorable mention AVCA All-District.
The Panthers claimed the 2007 State Farm MVC Tournament title in 2007, their fifth under Petersen. Two UNI players, Stelken and Kristin Belzung, earned first-team All-MVC honors, while Danielle Brazda and Laura Rowen were second-team all-league picks. Blankenship was an MVC All-Freshman team selection, as she set a Panthers single-season record for digs. Shannon Aschoff was named the 2007 State Farm MVC Tournament MVP, helping lead the Panthers to their second straight tournament title.
In 2006, Petersen was honored as the MVC coach of the year, after piloting the Panthers to a 28-8 mark (16-2 in MVC matches) and the second round of the NCAA tournament. After putting together another of it’s patented winning streaks - the Panthers won 19 of 20 matches at one point. UNI defeated Winthrop in the first round of the NCAA tournament, marking the sixth straight time the Panthers had won at least their first-round NCAA match. UNI’s season ended with a loss at top-ranked and eventual national champion Nebraska.
The 2006 season was not the first time Petersen had been honored with coaching accolades by her peers. She was named the AVCA National Coach of the Year in 2002, along with earning her second consecutive AVCA Central Region Coach of the Year award, after leading the Panthers to a 34-3 mark and a top four national seed in the NCAA tournament.
Injuries and inexperience did not stop the 2005 Panthers from posting their eighth straight season of 20 or more wins. Three players expected to be key contributors each saw time on the sideline due to various ailments. However, with just one senior on the roster, UNI continued to grow and mature with each match. The Panthers also posted wins against a pair of NCAA tournament teams.
In 2004, with a young squad, Petersen guided UNI to its seventh consecutive season of 20+ victories, and a second-place tie in the Missouri Valley Conference standings. Playing its usual rigorous schedule, Petersen saw UNI post a season-best nine-match winning streak midway through the season, which marked the 12th consecutive season that Panther volleyball has won at least nine matches in a row during the season.
Petersen led UNI to its sixth consecutive MVC championship in 2003 as the Panthers defeated Missouri State to win the title. UNI finished with a 28-6 record and was ranked as high as sixth in the nation during the 2003 campaign. The Panthers advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s second round dropping a close decision at eventual Final Four participant Minnesota.
Petersen took the Panthers to new heights in 2002 as they were ranked sixth in the nation - the highest ranking in school history - while entering the NCAA Tournament as the No. 4 seed. Along the way, UNI faced some of the toughest teams in the country including Stanford, the defending national champion, in the first match of the season. The Panthers came up big with wins over No. 3 Florida, No. 7 UCLA, No. 8 Pepperdine, No. 20 Minnesota, and No. 20 Missouri.
In 2001, Petersen led UNI to a 31-2 mark, as the Panthers knocked off third-ranked Wisconsin, No. 19 Notre Dame and downed Minnesota in an epic five-game marathon in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Panthers eventually fell to No. 1 Long Beach State in the NCAA regional semifinals. She also became the first person in conference history to win a league championship as a player (1986 and ‘87) and head coach when UNI beat Missouri State in the 2001 MVC Tournament final and Southern Illinois in 2002.
In her playing career at UNI from 1986-89, the former Bobbi Becker was a three-time First Team All-Conference selection and a two-time First Team All-Region pick. Although it has been more than 30 years since she last donned a Panther uniform, her name still appears on UNI’s Top 10 lists in numerous statistical categories. Her 40 kills in a 1989 match against Illinois State not only tops UNI history but also stands as the all-time Missouri Valley/Gateway Conference record. A native of Dike, Iowa, Petersen compiled 1,611 career kills and 1,457 digs during her career. In 1992, she was voted UNI’s Gateway Conference Volleyball Athlete of the Decade. In 2006, she was further honored by being voted to the Missouri Valley Conference All-Centennial Volleyball Team.
Petersen succeeded the legendary Iradge Ahrabi-Fard as head coach when he retired in 2001. It marked the second time she had replaced Ahrabi-Fard; she served as interim head coach in 1997, going 18-9 while he was serving as a consultant to USA Volleyball. Petersen spent six seasons as a Panther assistant prior to her appointment as permanent head coach. In that capacity, she was responsible for nearly all aspects of the Panther program including recruiting, camps, scheduling, fundraising, and scouting.
Petersen and her husband, Duane, reside in Dike. They have two sets of twin daughters, Baylee and Sydney, and Jadyn and Payton. Both Baylee and Sydney played for the Panthers, with Sydney joining the UNI roster in 2022 after four seasons as a libero at the University of Texas. Jadyn is in her freshman season playing for UNI in 2024, while Payton is playing collegiately at the University of Louisville.
THE PETERSEN FILE
| YEAR | SCHOOL | RECORD | CONFERENCE | POSTSEASON |
| 1997^ | UNI | 18-9 | 13-5 (2nd) | ----- |
| 2001 | UNI | 31-2 | 17-1 (1st) | MVC Tournament Champions / NCAA Sweet Sixteen |
| 2002 | UNI | 34-3 | 17-1 (1st) | MVC Tournament Champions / NCAA Sweet Sixteen |
| 2003 | UNI | 28-6 | 16-2 (2nd) | MVC Tournament Champions / NCAA Second Round |
| 2004 | UNI | 22-10 | 13-5 (T2nd) | ----- |
| 2005 | UNI | 20-12 | 12-6 (4th) | ----- |
| 2006 | UNI | 28-8 | 16-2 (1st) | MVC Tournament Champions / NCAA Second Round |
| 2007 | UNI | 22-11 | 14-4 (T2nd) | MVC Tournament Champions / NCAA First Round |
| 2008 | UNI | 25-9 | 13-5 (3rd) | NCAA First Round |
| 2009 | UNI | 31-3 | 18-0 (1st) | MVC Tournament Champions / NCAA Second Round |
| 2010 | UNI | 30-3 | 18-0 (1st) | MVC Tournament Champions / NCAA First Round |
| 2011 | UNI | 33-2 | 18-0 (1st) | MVC Tournament Champions / NCAA Second Round |
| 2012 | UNI | 25-10 | 15-3 (2nd) | NCAA Second Round |
| 2013 | UNI | 23-8 | 15-3 (T1st) | ----- |
| 2014 | UNI | 21-11 | 14-4 (2nd) | ----- |
| 2015 | UNI | 19-15 | 12-6 (T4th) | NCAA First Round |
| 2016 | UNI | 24-10 | 14-4 (3rd) | NCAA First Round |
| 2017 | UNI | 27-9 | 14-3 (2nd) | NCAA Second Round |
| 2018 | UNI | 24-10 | 16-2 (T1st) | MVC Tournament Champions / NCAA First Round |
| 2019 | UNI | 24-11 | 17-1 (1st) | NCAA First Round |
| 2020* | UNI | 9-13 | 8-8 (T6th) | ----- |
| 2021 | UNI | 12-19 | 7-11 (8th) | ----- |
| 2022 | UNI | 27-8 | 17-1 (1st) | MVC Tournament Champions / NCAA Second Round |
| 2023 | UNI | 26-7 | 18-0 (1st) | MVC Tournament Champions / NCAA First Round |
| 2024 | UNI | 26-8 | 18-0 (1st) | MVC Tournament Champions / NCAA Second Round |
| TOTAL | 609-217 | 375-77 |
^ Served as interim head coach
* 2020 season was played in spring 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic
