CEDAR FALLS — The UNI volleyball dynasty is expected to keep rolling in 2026, with Northern Iowa picked as the favorite to capture a fifth consecutive Missouri Valley Conference regular-season championship and four Panthers earning preseason all-conference honors.
UNI received nine of 11 first-place votes and 119 total points in the MVC preseason coaches poll released Monday, putting the Panthers atop the league’s preseason rankings for the fourth consecutive year.
In-state rival Drake was picked second with 96 points and one first-place vote, followed by Valparaiso with 88 points.
Belmont and UIC tied for fourth, with UIC receiving the remaining first-place vote.
Northern Iowa also dominated the eight-member Preseason All-MVC Team, landing four players on the squad.
Middle blocker Maryn Bixby, outside hitters Lily Dykstra and Cassidy Hartman, and defensive specialist/libero Jadyn Petersen were selected for the preseason honor.
Hartman enters the season as the reigning MVC Player of the Year, while Dykstra and Bixby also return after earning First Team All-MVC honors last season.
Petersen and Isabelle Elliott were members of the MVC All-Freshman Team a year ago.
The Panthers return 16 players from last season’s roster and enter the 2026 campaign receiving votes in the American Volleyball Coaches Association/Taraflex Preseason Coaches Poll.
UNI is chasing another piece of Missouri Valley Conference history this fall.
A fifth consecutive MVC regular-season championship would tie the program’s own conference record established when Northern Iowa won five straight league crowns from 1998 through 2002.
The Panthers are also seeking a fifth consecutive MVC Tournament championship. Northern Iowa previously won six straight conference tournament crowns from 1998 through 2003.
UNI’s 2025 season ultimately came to an end in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, where the Panthers fell to No. 11 Creighton in four sets after another championship season.
Northern Iowa won’t have to wait long to begin its latest title pursuit.
The Panthers open the 2026 season Friday, August 28, against Georgia Tech in the opening match of the Cyclone Invitational in Ames.
First serve is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Hilton Coliseum.
The match will be available on ESPN+ and the Panther Sports Radio Network.