The UNI volleyball team opened its weekend slate with a dominant sweep over the Belmont Bruins. The Panthers came out firing with a 5-0 scoring run, taking eight of the first nine points. Cassidy Hartman, Taryn Rice, and Sydney Golden each served an ace to extend the early lead into double digits. Hartman tallied four kills in the first set, while Maryn Bixby and Isabelle Elliott added three apiece to help UNI take the opener, 25-16.
The Bruins pushed back in the second set, challenging the Panthers early, but UNI quickly regained control behind strong offense from Hartman, Elliott, and Lindsay Oldendorf — each posting four kills. Northern Iowa used sharp attacking and steady blocking to win the set 25-18, taking a two-set lead.
Belmont jumped ahead 6-1 in the third set before UNI rallied behind tough serving and net defense. Aces by Golden and Hartman, along with a key block from Molly Shafer, helped the Panthers tie the score at 16-16. UNI then went on an 8-0 run and held on for a 25-19 win to complete the sweep, 3-0.
The Panthers carried that momentum into their next match against Southern Illinois. The first 20 points of the opening set were evenly split before UNI pulled away with a 15-7 scoring run to take the set 25-17. Lily Dykstra led the way with five kills, while Hartman and Elliott added four apiece, and Bixby contributed two aces.
Set two proved to be a battle, with UNI trailing for much of the frame before tying it 13-13. Hartman exploded for 14 kills in the set as the Panthers fought back. SIU went on a 5-0 run to go up 18-16, but UNI forced extra points and took the set 28-26, going up two sets to none. Dykstra added another five kills in the set.
Southern Illinois responded in the third, winning 25-23 after a tightly contested frame that featured ties at 6-6, 13-13, and 22-22. The Panthers bounced back in the fourth, pulling away from an 8-8 tie behind strong hitting from Hartman and Dykstra, and key blocks from Elliott, Bixby, and Oldendorf. UNI closed out the match 25-20 to secure the 3-1 victory.
