DES MOINES — UNI Panther volleyball wasted little time reminding the Missouri Valley Conference who has been running the league, blasting in-state rival Drake in straight sets Tuesday night to open conference play with another convincing victory.
Northern Iowa swept the Bulldogs 25-13, 25-21 and 25-21 at the Knapp Center, improving to 7-5 overall and 1-0 in MVC play.
The victory extended UNI’s remarkable regular-season conference winning streak to 53 consecutive matches, dating back to the 2023 season. The Panthers have also won 61 straight matches against MVC opponents when regular-season and postseason play are combined.
UNI entered conference action riding momentum after hammering Wichita State in four sets to complete a perfect home-opening weekend.
Tuesday’s match quickly turned into another showcase for the Panthers.
UNI hit a blistering .476 in the opening set, pounding 12 kills while committing only two attack errors. Lily Dykstra led the charge with six kills as Northern Iowa raced away from Drake for a 25-13 victory.
Maryn Bixby also helped control the net with a pair of early blocks. The former Dike-New Hartford standout has been a major defensive presence since returning to the lineup and recently earned Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors after a strong showing at the Rice Invitational.
Drake put up considerably more resistance in the second set.
The teams split the first 24 points, battling through eight ties and five lead changes before UNI finally broke the match open with a six-point scoring run.
Northern Iowa’s defense became the difference.
The Panthers piled up six blocks in the frame and held off the Bulldogs for a 25-21 victory despite hitting just .100 in the set.
UNI again found itself in a 4-4 tie early in the third before exploding on a 6-1 run.
Taryn Rice delivered three consecutive service aces during the surge, helping Northern Iowa take command and forcing Drake to play from behind.
The Bulldogs attempted a late push, but UNI held Drake to just eight kills and a .056 hitting percentage in the set before finishing off another 25-21 victory and completing the sweep.
Dykstra finished with a match-high 15 kills while hitting .238 and adding two blocks. Her big night followed a strong non-conference stretch that included a 20-kill performance in UNI’s sweep of Rice.
Cassidy Hartman added 13 kills, 11 digs and three blocks for her seventh double-double of the season and 30th of her career.
Hartman also continued climbing UNI’s record book, moving into 26th place on the program’s career kills list with 1,089.
Isabelle Elliott added six kills and three blocks, while Grace Hannam and Bixby each finished with five blocks.
Setter Reese Booth recorded 31 assists and 12 digs, extending her streak to seven consecutive double-doubles. She has now produced 10 double-doubles this season.
Jadyn Petersen led the back row with 18 digs.
The Panthers finished with 41 kills, a .214 hitting percentage and 10 team blocks while holding Drake to just 26 kills and a .026 hitting percentage.
UNI has now defeated Drake in 10 consecutive meetings and owns a commanding 97-16-2 advantage in the all-time series.
The Panthers return home Saturday, September 26, to face Murray State at the McLeod Center. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m.
The match will also serve as UNI’s Lavender Out event in support of the fight against cancer.