CARBONDALE, ILLINOIS — Northern Iowa volleyball dropped its first set in Missouri Valley Conference play this season but recovered to defeat Southern Illinois 3-1 on Saturday, October 10, 2026, at Davies Gym.
The Panthers won 25-17, 23-25, 25-13 and 25-15 to improve to 6-0 in MVC play. UNI finished with a .305 hitting percentage, 61 kills, nine blocks and five service aces, according to the university’s preliminary statistics.
Panthers open fast before Salukis answer
UNI opened the match with a 7-0 run and hit .351 in the first set, committing just one attack error on the way to a 25-17 victory. Cassidy Hartman tallied five kills in the frame, while Lily Dykstra and Calia Clubb contributed three each.
Southern Illinois responded in the second, tying the score at 18-18 before prevailing 25-23. It was the first set the Panthers had lost in MVC competition this season.
Northern Iowa takes control in final two sets
The Salukis opened the third set with a 6-1 run, but UNI stormed back and held SIU to .046 hitting. The Panthers recorded 17 kills, committed only two attack errors and collected four blocks in a commanding 25-13 win.
UNI then surged ahead 7-2 in the fourth set, hit .379 and finished the match with a 25-15 victory. Reese Booth delivered a service ace on match point.
Dykstra and Booth post double-doubles
Dykstra finished with 13 kills, 10 digs and three blocks, while Clubb added 13 kills and three blocks. Maryn Bixby posted a season-high 10 kills, and Grace Hannam contributed six kills and three blocks.
Booth recorded 41 assists and 13 digs for her 12th consecutive double-double, while Jadyn Petersen had 15 digs and nine assists. Hartman recorded 14 digs and two blocks; UNI’s initial release omitted her total kills figure and identified the final statistics as pending correction.
Conference winning streak reaches 66
The victory extended UNI’s overall conference winning streak, including tournament matches, to 66, while its MVC regular-season winning streak reached 58. Following Dayton’s Saturday loss to Saint Louis, both were the longest active such streaks in Division I volleyball, according to UNI.
The Panthers have now won 19 straight matches against Southern Illinois and lead the all-time series 71-13. UNI is 48-6 against the Salukis under head coach Bobbi Petersen, who is seven MVC regular-season victories shy of 400.
NIT previously covered the Panthers’ four-set victory over Southern Illinois in 2025, another chapter in UNI’s long-running success against the Salukis.
Valparaiso, UIC visit Cedar Falls next
Northern Iowa returns to the McLeod Center to host Valparaiso on Friday, October 16, at 6 p.m. Central, followed by a weekend matchup with UIC. The Valparaiso contest will be available on ESPN+ and the Panther Sports Radio Network.