University of Northern Iowa volleyball team: This Week In Panther Volleyball
*No. 13 Panthers Head to Bradley, Notre Dame This Weekend*
*Fri., Nov. 5 at Bradley 7 p.m.*
Radio: Panther Sports Network
KWLO AM 1330, KQCR FM 98.9 (Hampton), KQMG FM 95.3 (Independence)
*Sun., Nov. 7 at Notre Dame 1 p.m.*
Radio: Panther Sports Network
KWLO AM 1330, KQCR FM 98.9 (Hampton), KQMG FM 95.3 (Independence)
The No. 13-ranked University of Northern Iowa volleyball team (22-2, 13-0 MVC) will put its 31-match Missouri Valley Conference regular-season win streak on the line Friday night traveling to Bradley at 7 p.m. The Panthers will return to action Sunday, wrapping up their non-conference schedule facing BIG EAST foe Notre Dame at 1 p.m. The Panthers are a combined 53-9 against this weekend’s opponents, holding a 49-9 advantage over Bradley and a perfect 4-0 record against the Fighting Irish.
*PANTHER QUICK SETS...*
• Between Bre Payton and Amy Braun the Panthers have had a player finish with a double-double in eight of the Panthers 13 MVC matches this season, including one match with Payton and Braun each recording a double-double. Payton has finished with six double-doubles in MVC play while Braun has notched three.
• UNI held steady in both the American Volleyball Coaches Association Coaches’ Poll and the NCAA Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) this week, remaining at No. 13 in the AVCA Coaches Poll and No. 5 in the RPI. No. 13 is the highest the Panthers have been ranked since the 2003 season. UNI was ranked as high as No. 6 that season.
• With her 74 assists in two matches last weekend, Bre Payton became just the sixth Panther to cross the 3,000 career assist threshold. The junior currently has 3,046 assists to her credit, ranking her sixth all-time at UNI. Jill Arganbright holds the UNI career record for assists with 6,064.
• Sophomore Amy Braun has been named Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week after her performance against Southern Illinois and Evansville. Braun was key on both the offensive and defensive end in the Panthers’ two wins last weekend, averaging 4.17 kills per set and 3.67 digs per set while hitting .478. Against Southern Illinois, the sophomore just missed reaching a double-double, hammering down 10 kills on .400 hitting while also snagging nine digs and chipping in two solo blocks. Against Evansville, Braun notched her seventh double-double of the season hammering down a match-high 15 kills on .538 hitting and snagging 13 digs.
• The Panthers have been road warriors this season, playing 16 of their 24 matches away from Cedar Falls. UNI is 9-1 in true road matches and 5-1 in neutral contests.
• In the Panthers’ wins over Southern Illinois and Evansville UNI hit a combined .427 while holding their opponent to just .118. Against Southern Illinois, UNI hit .398 with Beth Discher hitting .684 on the night. Against Evansville, UNI hit a season-high .455 with three Panthers hitting over .500 including Amy Braun (.538), Michelle Burow (.833) and Krista DeGeest (.583).
*JUST A FEW MORE*
Ellie Blankenship needs just 47 digs to break the 2,500 mark for career digs. The senior currently has 2,453 digs to her credit, including 455 this season. Just seven players have recorded over 2,500 career digs at the Division I level.
*JUST ANOTHER 20 WIN SEASON*
With UNI’s sweep of Creighton, the Panthers picked up its 20th win this season. During Bobbi Petersen’s tenure, the Panthers have recorded 20 wins in 10 of her 11 seasons as head coach. This is the 13th straight season the Panthers have posted a 20-win season with UNI having claimed at least 20 victories in 23 of the past 25 seasons. Five of those seasons, the Panthers have won 30 or more matches, including three times in the last 10 years (2001, 2002 and 2009).
*BLANKENSHIP DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK...AGAIN*
Ellie Blankenship has been named Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Week for the third time this season after her performance in the Panthers’ wins over Drake and Creighton. Blankenship led the Panther defensive effort last weekend, averaging 6.00 digs per set. In the Panthers’ win over Drake, Blankenship finished with a match-best 24 digs. In UNI’s win over Creighton, Blankenship finished with 18 digs. The senior also recorded a kill and two service aces against Drake. In conference play, Blankenship is averaging 5.55 digs per set.
*PAYTON DOES IT ALL*
Bre Payton proved her versatility in UNI’s wins over Drake and Creighton, finishing with a double-double in each match. In the Panthers’ win over Drake, Payton finished with 50 assists and 10 digs while also chipping in five kills. In UNI’s win over Creighton, Payton just missed registering a triple-double, finishing with 31 assists, 18 digs and nine kills. Payton has registered 11 double-doubles this season while also finishing with four triple-doubles.
*TOP OF THE VALLEY*
UNI is a perfect 13-0 in Missouri Valley Conference play this season and is in sole possession of first place. The Panthers are also currently riding a 31-match regular season conference winning streak. The last time UNI lost a regular-season league match was during the 2008 season falling at Creighton (11/21/08).
*HOPING FOR ANOTHER PERFECT MVC SEASON*
The Panthers are in search of their seventh undefeated conference season with a current 13-0 record in MVC play. Just four teams in the history of the Missouri Valley Conference and its predecessor, the Gateway Conference, have recorded perfect conference seasons. UNI has more undefeated conference seasons than the rest of the league combined, owning six unblemished conference seasons while Wichita State, Missouri State and Illinois State have combined for five undefeated seasons.
*KEEPIN’ THE STREAK ALIVE*
The Panthers have three active winning streaks as they are currently riding a 17-match winning streak this season, a 31-match regular season Missouri Valley Conference streak and 18-straight home match win streak. UNI’s conference winning streak is the third longest in the nation and their current home court streak is eighth best.
*A PRETTY GOOD RUN*
Since the start of the 2009 season UNI has posted a record of 53-5. During those 58 matches the Panthers have lost just 44 sets. In addition, UNI has swept its opponent 32 times while being swept just twice during that span.
*BLANKENSHIP NAMED LOWE’S SENIOR CLASS AWARD FINALIST*
UNI’s Ellie Blankenship has been named as one of 10 finalists for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence - community, classroom, character and competition. Fans can vote online for Blankenship by visiting www.seniorclassaward.com. The winner will be determined by votes from media and coaches as well as the fan vote.
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*THE STATS DON’T LIE*
As a team, UNI ranks in the top 10 nationally in four different statistical categories. The Panthers are ranked fourth in kills per set (14.97), fifth in assists (13.68), sixth in winning percentage (.917) and ninth in digs (18.03). Individually, Bre Payton and Ellie Blankenship each rank in the top 30 nationally, with Blankenship ranking 26th in digs per set (5.23) and Payton ranking 28th in assists per set (10.97). **
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*ELITE COMPANY*
With her 2,453 career digs, Ellie Blankenship is just the 20th player in Division I history to record more than 2,300 digs in a career. Currently, Blankenship ranks second among active players for career digs and is on track to challenge for a spot in the all-time top 10 for career digs. Only seven Division I players have ever recorded more than 2,500 digs. Currently, Blankenship needs just 47 digs to reach the 2,500 mark.
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*RPI RELEASED*
In the fifth RPI released by the NCAA UNI held steady at No. 5. The Panthers have faced eight opponents ranked in the top 45 of the fourth RPI, picking up wins over Minnesota (12), Purdue (17), Wichita State (24), Missouri State (35), Western Kentucky (39) and Creighton (41) while falling to Dayton (9) and Iowa State (16).
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*HOME SWEET MCLEOD*
The Panthers have a solid home court advantage in the McLeod Center, posting a 39-7 record in the arena. UNI played its final regular season match of the 2006 season in the McLeod Center, topping Bradley. UNI finished 2007 with a 9-4 home record, 2008 with a 12-2 record, 2009 with a 10-1 mark and is a perfect 7-0 in the McLeod Center this season. In addition, UNI has lost just four league matches inside the McLeod Center.
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*VOLLEYBALL** STATE***
Iowa is just one of two states in the country to have two Division I volleyball teams ranked in the top 15 in the AVCA Coaches’ Poll for the last four weeks. Both UNI and Iowa State rank in the top 15; with Iowa State coming in at No. 12 and UNI coming in at No. 13 in this week’s poll. California is the only other state in the country to have more than one team ranked in the top 15.
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*NCAA DIGS PANTHERS*
The Panthers earned some time in the national spotlight with NCAA.com featuring an article on Ellie Blankenship. The article, “Blankenship Digs Panthers’ Success” was written by Jerry Trickie and can be found at http://www.ncaa.com/blog/womens-volleyball/2010/10/blankenship-digs-panthers-succ.html
*CONFERENCE STREAKS*
UNI currently holds the third longest active volleyball conference winning streak, having won 31-straight matches dating back to last season. Only Hawaii (36) and Lipscomb (32) have won more consecutive conference matches than the Panthers.
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*A DEFENSIVE EFFORT*
For a string of four matches the Panther defense held their opponent to under .120 hitting percentage. UNI held South Dakota State to just .117 hitting followed by a .104 attack percentage for Bradley. UNI then held Illinois State to a .110 clip before holding Indiana State to just .101 hitting. Over the course of the season, UNI is holding opponents to just .167 hitting including a league-best .147 in MVC action.
*A BALANCED ATTACK*
UNI features a completely balanced offensive attack, as six players have registered more than 100 kills this season including four players over 200. Michelle Burow leads the way (263) followed by Krista DeGeest (225), Beth Discher (219), Amy Braun (214), Bre Payton (161), Shelby Kintzel (160).
*A BALANCED ATTACK ON DEFENSE TOO*
The same balanced effort is evident in the back row as UNI has four players with over 200 digs. Ellie Blankenship leads the way with 455 digs followed by Amy Braun (323 digs), Bre Payton (225) and Candice Burke (218)
*WHAT CAN BRAUN DO FOR YOU?*
Amy Braun proved to be a playmaker on both the offensive and defensive end in the Panthers’ wins over Evansville and Southern Illinois. The sophomore finished with a team-high 26 kills and 32 digs. Braun averaged 3.71 kills per set and 4.57 digs per set over the course of the two matches. The Lakeville, Minn. native hammered down a career-high 17 kills and picked up 19 digs en route to her fifth double-double of the season in the Panthers’ win over Evansville. In UNI’s win over Southern Illinois, Braun was just short of her sixth double-double, picking up 13 digs and registering nine kills.
*CONFERENCE LEADERS*
Overall, UNI leads the league in hitting percentage (.252), assists (13.68) and kills (14.97) in the Panthers 24 matches this season. In conference play, UNI leads the league in hitting percentage (.284), assists (14.27), kills (15.84) and digs (19.27).
*BLANKENSHIP IN THE SPOTLIGHT*
Ellie Blankenship earned national recognition after her performance against Creighton and Drake, being named a CVU.com Top Performer. Top performers are players who were finalists for the weekly honor and others who had exceptional individual matches. Blankenship led the Panther defense in the Panthers’ two wins, picking up 53 digs while averaging 6.62 digs per set.
*BLANKENSHIP HONORED*
For the second time this season, Ellie Blankenship has been named Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Week for the week of Sept. 27. Blankenship was all over the court for the Panthers against Creighton and Drake, recording 53 digs in the Panthers’ two MVC wins. In the Panthers’ win over Creighton, Blankenship recorded 30 digs, helping the Panther defense hold the Bluejays to just a .120 hitting percentage. The following evening, Blankenship picked up another 23 digs en route to the Panthers’ win over Drake, also helping UNI hold their opponent to under a .200 attack percentage. Blankenship averaged 6.62 digs per set in the Panthers’ two matches last weekend and is averaging 5.24 digs per set this season.
*CAREER NIGHT FOR BURKE*
Sophomore Candice Burke matched her career-high digs number in the Panthers’ win over Creighton, recording 20 digs. Burke’s 20 digs helped the Panther defense hold the Bluejays to just a .120 attack percentage. Burke also added two service aces in the win.
*A FORCE AT THE NET*
Krista DeGeest was a force at the net for the Panthers against Drake and Creighton averaging 1.62 blocks per set. The sophomore recorded 13 blocks over the course of the two matches, including seven against Creighton and six against Drake.
*LOVIN’ THE HOME CROWD*
For the 2010 season UNI ranks No. 14 in home attendance, averaging 2,068 fans. The Panthers ranked No. 16th in home attendance in 2009, averaging 1,958 fans per contest.
*REWRITING RECORDS*
Ellie Blankenship has made a habit of rewriting record books in her time as a Panther, most recently breaking the Missouri Valley Conference record for individual career digs. In the Panthers’ sweep of Missouri State Blankenship set a new MVC record for career digs and then added to that number against Wichita State. Blankenship’s 2,228 career digs surpassed the previous record of 2,202 digs held by Kelly Broussard. Blankenship also holds the MVC record for digs in a season.
*KINTZEL NAMED FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK*
Redshirt freshman Shelby Kintzel was named MVC Freshman of the Week after her performance in the Panthers’ wins over Missouri State and Wichita State. Kintzel was a force on the offensive end, hitting a combined .323 over the course of the weekend. In the Panthers’ sweep of Missouri State, Kintzel finished with eight kills and hit .357 for the match. Against the Shockers, Kintzel hammered down six kills while hitting .294. For the weekend Kintzel finished with 14 kills (2.33 kills per set) and six blocks (1.00 blocks per set).
*AGAINST THE 2009 NCAA TOURNAMENT FIELD*
UNI is 3-2 this season against 2009 NCAA tournament teams. The Panthers posted wins over Minnesota, who advanced to the Final Four in 2009, Baylor, a Sweet 16 participant, and Wichita State, who advanced to the second round. The Panthers losses have come to Iowa State (Sweet 16) and Dayton (second round).
*MVP *
Ellie Blankenship was named most valuable player at the Kansas Invitational while Amy Braun and Michelle Burow picked up all-tournament accolades as well. Burow has earned all-tournament honors in each of the tournaments the Panthers have played in this season.
*TRIPLE-DOUBLE TROUBLE*
Bre Payton has made triple-doubles the norm early this season as the junior has registered triple doubles in the Panthers’ wins over Purdue, Minnesota and Baylor as well as the loss to Dayton. Payton is the first player in Missouri Valley Conference history to produce a triple-double in four consecutive matches. Payton currently has 11 career triple-doubles, the most of any Panther in school history.
*DOUBLE-DOUBLE TROUBLE*
Amy Braun had a stellar weekend for the Panthers on the offensive and defensive end at the Diet Coke Classic, registering two double-doubles. Braun recorded a career-high 24 digs and 13 kills in the Panthers’ loss to No. 20 Dayton while knocking down 11 kills and grabbing 19 digs in the Panthers’ win over Baylor.
*ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS*
Bre Payton and Michelle Burow were awarded for their efforts at the Diet Coke Classic, both earning a place on the all-tournament team. This is the second consecutive tournament Payton and Burow have earned all-tournament team honors, as the pair was also named to the Mortar Board Premier all-tournament team.
*TOUGH D*
Against a group of tough opponents, UNI managed to hold all three of their opponents to under .200 hitting percentage at the Diet Coke Classic. UNI held No. 20 Dayton and No. 8 Minnesota to .193 hitting percentage while allowing Baylor a .175 hitting percentage.
*PICKING UP RIGHT WHERE SHE LEFT OFF*
Junior setter Bre Payton picked up right where she left off last season, leading the Panthers to three victories at the Mortar Board Premier Tournament. Payton was named Most Valuable Player of the Tournament after registering 30 kills (2.73 per set), dishing out 98 assists (8.91 per set) and grabbing 22 digs. Payton also earned Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week honors for her efforts.
*HOT HITTING*
The Panthers put up impressive hitting numbers in their 3-0 sweep of Western Kentucky, hitting .398 as a team. Michelle Burow led the way for the Panthers, knocking down 11 kills.
*NCAA REGULAR*
Since making its first NCAA tournament appearance in 1986, the Panthers have failed to make the NCAA tournament field just nine times. Three of those years UNI was selected to play in the now defunct National Invitational Volleyball Classic (NIVC), meaning that only six times in the last 24 years have the Panthers failed to make some sort of postseason play.
*PETERSEN’S REIGN*
Panther head coach Bobbi Petersen, starting her 11th season at the helm of the UNI volleyball program, has a 281-75 record during her tenure. Her .781 career winning percentage ranks her eighth among active Division I volleyball coaches. Petersen has claimed at least 20 wins in nine of her ten seasons as a head coach, while claiming six Missouri Valley Conference titles with seven NCAA tournament appearances. She was the MVC Coach of the Year in 2009 and 2006, and the 2002 AVCA National Coach of the Year.
*WIN STREAK*
The Panthers recorded a 29-match win streak during the 2009 season. That is the longest win streak since the 1999 team won 30 consecutive matches. The streak was the second-longest win streak among Division I teams, trailing only Penn State. The Panthers lost only 16 sets during that stretch.
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*MVC DOMINANCE*
After claiming the 2009 MVC Tournament title, UNI now has 14 MVC Tournament Championships. That number matches the number of titles by the rest of the league combined. Illinois State has nine titles, Missouri State has four and Wichita State has won once.
*RECORD BREAKER*
Senior libero Ellie Blankenship looks for her fourth record-breaking season on the court as she currently holds the career record for digs (1,998) and digs per set (5.61) as well as the digs per set in a season. During her career she has posted double-digit digs in 100 of 101 matches she has played in. Her 51-match streak of double-digit digs is the 12th-best in NCAA history.
*AMONG THE NATION’S ELITE PROGRAMS*
UNI is just one of 22 college volleyball programs to have won more than 800 matches. The Panthers rank 15th in Division I will 877 school victories.
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*A WINNING TRADITION*
UNI has recorded 25 consecutive winning seasons since the beginning of the 1981 season, ranking them sixth among Division I volleyball programs. The Panthers’ 29 consecutive non-losing seasons (beginning in 1981) currently has them tied for first among Division I programs.
*THIS WEEK’S OPPONENTS*
*Bradley *- The Panthers topped the Braves in straight sets at home on Oct. 8 winning by scores of 25-18, 25-9, 25-10. The Braves picked up their first win of the MVC season Oct. 29, topping Evansville. Bradley is 6-20 overall and 1-12 in MVC play this season.
The Braves are led by Amy Angelos on the offensive end, averaging 2.25 kills per set this season. Defensively, Rachelle Dejean and Allie Gardner are each averaging 3.04 digs per set.
UNI leads the all-time series against the Braves 49-9 and has won the last ten matches.
*Notre Dame - *The Fighting Irish come into this weekend with a 15-9 record including 8-3 in BIG EAST play. The Panthers share two common opponents in the 2010 season with the Fighting Irish falling to both Dayton and Western Michigan.
The Irish are led by Andrea McHugh on the offensive end, averaging 3.47 kills per set. Defensively, Kellie Sciacca is a force at the net with 1.01 blocks per set and Frenchy Silva averaging 3.47 digs per set. Sammie Brown serves as the Irish’s main setter, averaging 9.55 assists per set.
UNI leads the series against the Irish, 4-0 with the last Panther victory coming during the 2006 season.
