Sports

UNI volleyball releases 2025 schedule

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — The UNI volleyball team on Friday announced its 28-match schedule for the upcoming 2025 season, with non-conference tournament trips to Dallas, Omaha and Green Bay on tap. Coming off their third consecutive Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) regular season and tournament championships, plus the program’s 26th NCAA Tournament berth, the Panthers will […]

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1 month ago

June 13, 2025

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CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — The UNI volleyball team on Friday announced its 28-match schedule for the upcoming 2025 season, with non-conference tournament trips to Dallas, Omaha and Green Bay on tap.

Coming off their third consecutive Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) regular season and tournament championships, plus the program’s 26th NCAA Tournament berth, the Panthers will seek their fourth straight titles for both conference crowns for the first time since 1998-2002

Season ticket renewals for the 2025 season are now on-going through June 30, while new season tickets will launch on July 1 with $75 tickets available arena wide. Single-match tickets will go on sale at a later date.

Young alumni season tickets can now be purchased for any UNI graduate within the past five years for $100. Additional young alumni ticket information can be found HERE.

Tickets can be renewed online at unipanthers.com/tickets, or by calling the UNI Ticket Office at 319-273-4849. Click HERE for a McLeod Center seating chart for volleyball.

To learn more about the Panther Scholarship Club (PSC) or to make a donation, visit supportthepanthers.com/psc or contact the PSC office by phone at (319) 273-2471 or by email at PSC@uni.edu.

Northern Iowa’s 2025 schedule features six NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago (SMU, Creighton, Washington, Louisville, South Dakota State, Arizona State), including two reigning conference regular season champions.

UNI will hold its annual Purple and Gold intrasquad scrimmage inside the McLeod Center on a date still to be determined, and play a preseason exhibition at South Dakota on Aug. 23. The 2025 regular season will begin a week later as the Panthers host the reigning Big 12 champion Arizona State Sun Devils on Aug. 29 at 6 p.m. CT before taking on the defending Summit League regular season champion South Dakota State Jackrabbits the following day. As part of the short two-day tournament, Illinois will also attend for a neutral site match with ASU.

Northern Iowa hits the road following the Labor Day holiday in Texas for the SMU Tournament, which will begin with a Sept. 4 matchup against Stony Brook, coached by former Panther setter Kristin Belzung. The Panthers will also face SMU on Sept. 5 and Washington on Sept. 6 in Dallas.

For the first time since 2021, UNI will face off at home against in-state rival Iowa State on Sept. 9 in the first matchup between the programs since 2022. The Panthers will return to the road for the second year of its current rotating tournament, taking on Creighton, Louisville and Rice during the weekend of Sept. 12-14. In addition to a battle among former MVC rivals with Creighton, the Saturday, Sept. 13 match against Louisville will be a highly anticipated rematch of last year’s NCAA Tournament second round, where the Panthers took the Cardinals to the brink in a five-set battle against the eventual NCAA runners-up.

The Panthers will close out non-conference action Sept. 18-20 in Wisconsin as they take on Tennessee Tech, Western Michigan and Green Bay at the Green Bay Tournament.

MVC play will commence on Sept. 26 as Northern Iowa opens league action with a road rematch of the 2024 MVC Tournament championship at UIC, paired with a match at Valparaiso (Sept. 27). Following a midweek contest at Drake on Sept. 30, UNI returns home for three straight conference battles with Murray State for homecoming (Oct. 4), Evansville (Oct. 10) and Bradley (Oct. 11).

The Panthers make the first of two southern swings through the MVC at Indiana State (Oct. 17) and Evansville (Oct. 18) before another three-match homestand with Illinois State (Oct. 24), Indiana State (Oct. 25) and Belmont (Oct. 30) coming to town ahead of a Nov. 1 contest at Southern Illinois. UNI will close out the regular season with its final two home matches against Drake (Nov. 4) and UIC (Nov. 7) and return south to take on Murray State (Nov. 15) and Belmont (Nov. 16) on the road.

This year’s MVC Tournament will feature a new format with the league’s top-six teams qualifying for postseason play. Dates and locations, which will all be held at on-campus sites and hosted by higher seeds, will be announced at a later date.

Additional match times will be announced as they are set.

UNI, which begins its 52nd season of play and 26th year under the leadership of nine-time MVC Coach of the Year Bobbi Petersen, returns 11 athletes from the 2024 roster, including Second Team All-MVC performers Lily Dykstra and Cassidy Hartman, along with senior setter Sydney Golden and senior opposite Calia Clubb. The Panthers added six new freshmen in the offseason, as well as one transfer in senior middle blocker Lindsay Oldendorf from San Francisco.

2025 UNI VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE

TBD – Purple & Gold Scrimmage – TBA
Aug. 23 at South Dakota (Exhibition) – TBA
Aug. 29 vs. Arizona State – 6 p.m. CT (UNI Tournament)
Aug. 30 vs. South Dakota State – 5 p.m. CT (UNI Tournament)
Sept. 4 vs. Stony Brook – 4 p.m. CT (SMU Tournament)
Sept. 5 at SMU – 7 p.m. CT (SMU Tournament)
Sept. 6 vs. Washington – 11 a.m. CT (SMU Tournament)
Sept. 9 vs. Iowa State – 6:30 p.m. CT
Sept. 12 vs. Rice – 4:30 p.m. CT (Creighton Tournament)
Sept. 13 vs. Louisville – 6:30 p.m. CT (Creighton Tournament)
Sept. 14 at Creighton – 3 p.m. CT (Creighton Tournament)
Sept. 18 vs. Tennessee Tech – 3 p.m. CT (Green Bay Tournament)
Sept. 19 vs. Western Michigan – 3 p.m. CT (Green Bay Tournament)
Sept. 20 at Green Bay – 2 p.m. CT (Green Bay Tournament)
Sept. 26 at UIC * – 6 p.m. CT
Sept. 27 at Valparaiso * – 5 p.m. CT
Sept. 30 at Drake * – 6 p.m. CT
Oct. 4 vs. Murray State * – TBA
Oct. 10 vs. Evansville * – 6 p.m. CT
Oct. 11 vs. Bradley * – 5 p.m. CT
Oct. 17 at Indiana State * – 5 p.m. CT
Oct. 18 at Evansville * – 5 p.m. CT
Oct. 24 vs. Illinois State * – 6 p.m. CT
Oct. 25 vs. Indiana State * – 5 p.m. CT
Oct. 30 vs. Belmont – 6 p.m. CT
Nov. 1 at Southern Illinois * – 5 p.m. CT
Nov. 4 vs. Drake * – 6 p.m. CT
Nov. 7 vs. UIC * – 6 p.m. CT
Nov. 14 at Murray State * – 6 p.m. CT
Nov. 15 at Belmont * – 5 p.m. CT
TBD – MVC Tournament – TBA

* MVC match | Home matches in BOLD

UNI volleyball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Volleyball), X (@UNIVolleyball) and on Instagram (@univolleyball). The full 2025 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.

Sports

Raffael Craig Named as Head Track & Field/Cross Country Coach

Story Links Rock Hill, S.C. – Winthrop University Athletic Director Chuck Rey announced the hiring of Raffael Craig as the head track & field/cross country coach on Thursday afternoon, to see Craig become the third head coach in the history of the track & field program “We are excited to […]

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9 minutes ago

July 17, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Rock Hill, S.C. – Winthrop University Athletic Director Chuck Rey announced the hiring of Raffael Craig as the head track & field/cross country coach on Thursday afternoon, to see Craig become the third head coach in the history of the track & field program

“We are excited to welcome Raffael Craig as the next Head Coach for Track & Field and Cross Country, a leader whose integrity, vision, character, and energy sets the tone for a bold new era in our program’s history,” stated Rey. “His commitment to developing culture, character, and well-rounded student-athletes, while striving for championships, aligns perfectly with Winthrop Eagles values and mission.”

He spent the last two years as an assistant coach at Purdue, coaching the jumpers and combined athlete events. Under his guidance, he saw 17 All-Big Ten athlete honors, including a First-Team All-American in the pentathlon, with a Second-Team All-American honor in the triple jump. Rounding out his time in West Lafayette, he helped lead thirteen athletes to Purdue All-Time Top-Ten honors, adding on three school records in the women’s pentathlon in 2025.

“I’m incredibly honored to be named the head track & field and cross country coach at Winthrop University,” said Craig. “This program has tremendous potential, and I’m excited to build a culture focused on development, discipline, and long-term success. I look forward to working with our support staff to give our student-athletes the best experience while they help me Rock the Hill.”

Prior to Purdue, Craig served as an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech University, coaching the Conference USA Champion in the heptathlon event, along with three additional top-six finishes in long jump and triple jump. Before his time with the Bulldogs, he tipped his toes into the collegiate sphere with a volunteer position at Texas Tech University, helping to lead six Red Raiders to earn All-American accolades, being highlighted by the 2021 NCAA Indoor triple jump champion, Ruth Urso.

Ahead of his time in the college ranks, Craig spent 15 years at Millville High School in Millville, New Jersey. At Millville, he led the team to #1 Ranked Public School spot in New Jersey, following that up with a 2020 Preseason New Jersey #1 Public School ranking. Under his tutelage, Craig guided 18 athletes to colleges on scholarships, coaching the 2019 New Balance Outdoor National Champion, Bryanna Craig, in the heptathlon.

Craig, a 2000 Big East pentathlon champion at the University of Connecticut, earned All-Big East honors four times during his collegiate career. He was inducted into the South Jersey Track Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2013 and went on to become an eight-time USATF Masters Indoor Track & Field national champion in 2018 and 2019.

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Sports

Huge new volleyball facility opening at the Dulles Town Center

Another major new tenant has signed on for one of the large vacant spaces at the Dulles Town Center shopping mall. This time it’s a volleyball training facility. Libero Virginia – which already has another location just up Route 7 in Ashburn – has announced it is opening a second location at the mall. “We’re […]

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10 minutes ago

July 17, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Another major new tenant has signed on for one of the large vacant spaces at the Dulles Town Center shopping mall. This time it’s a volleyball training facility.

Libero Virginia – which already has another location just up Route 7 in Ashburn – has announced it is opening a second location at the mall.

“We’re growing and bringing more volleyball fun your way,” the Libero team wrote on social media. “Our second location is coming soon – featuring four brand new volleyball courts for all your game-day needs. Whether you’re a pro or just looking for some casual play, we’ve got space for everyone.”

Libero will reportedly be taking over the space left empty when the LA Fitness gym moved out last fall.

The venue offers volleyball clinics, travel leagues, private coaching, and more.

(Image at top: Libero Volleyball)

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Sports

Japan Routs Great Britain in Water Polo at World Championships

World Championships: Japan Routs Great Britain, Italy Squeaks Through Women’s Water Polo Crossover Japan made the quarterfinals of the World Aquatics Championships for the first time, and Italy just squeaked by China Thursday in the women’s water polo tournament in Singapore. Japan was the lone third-place team to win in the crossover matches, the last […]

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20 minutes ago

July 17, 2025

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World Championships: Japan Routs Great Britain, Italy Squeaks Through Women’s Water Polo Crossover

Japan made the quarterfinals of the World Aquatics Championships for the first time, and Italy just squeaked by China Thursday in the women’s water polo tournament in Singapore.

Japan was the lone third-place team to win in the crossover matches, the last chance to reach the quarters, with a 23-10 win over Great Britain. The other matches when to second-place sides, but not always easily. Italy got the biggest scare, a 13-11 win over China. The Netherlands handled New Zealand, 14-9, while Greece is in the quarters for the 12th straight edition of the tournament via a 23-9 romp past France.

Japan scored 11 times in the first half and never looked back. Shoka Fukuda and Eruna Ura each paired three goals with four assists. Maho Kobayashi had four and two. Kako Kawaguchi, Ai Sunabe and Fuka Nishiyama each tallied hat tricks for Japan, which shot 66 percent (23-for-35).

“This is a big, big success for Japan,” Sunabe said. “It’s the first time we’re in the top eight of the world championships and it’s a really good experience for us.”

Japan books a quarterfinal date with the U.S. on Saturday. The eight-time World Champion qualified directly winning Group B.

Italy never trailed but could never unlatch itself from China in a game that was just 11-10 with six minutes left. Seven steals as a team and nine saves from Aurora Condorelli helped Italy survive the scare.

Dafne Bettini led the offense with three goals and four assists. Roberta Bianconi scored three goals (albeit on eight shots), and Chiara Ranalli paired two goals on two shots with two assists. Italy gets a date with Hungary in the quarterfinals.

Siya Yan led China with two goals and two assists, Shiyun Wang scored twice and Yineng Shen made eight saves.

The Dutch eased past New Zealand thanks to five goals and two assists from Simone van de Kraats. Maartje Keuning (two goals) was the only other Dutch player with multiple goals. Millie Quin had a hat trick for the Kiwis.

Foteini Tricha was 5-for-5 shooting to move into the tournament lead with 20 goals and pace Greece. Eleftheria Plevritou scored four times, and Vasiliki Plevritou added three goals. Greece’s defense limited France’s Ema Vernoux to 1-for-7 shooting.

The Netherlands plays Spain in Saturday’s quarterfinal, a rematch of the 2023 gold-medal match, won by the Dutch. That’s the nightcap. Australia and Greece play in the first game of the day.

Crossover round losers head to the 9-12 placement round.

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A beginner’s guide to sportsbook promos in Arizona: What you need to know

(Submitted Photo: FreePik/DigitalFreePress) Sponsored Content | Digital Free Press Arizona’s sports betting scene is booming, attracting both seasoned bettors and curious newcomers. With a variety of sportsbooks vying for attention, understanding the promotional offers available can be a game-changer. These promotions not only enhance the betting experience but also provide opportunities to maximize potential winnings. […]

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501 LIFE Magazine | Harding Track’s Blankinship named Academic All-American

16 Jul 2025 Harding Track’s Blankinship named Academic All-American Posted at 7:00 PMh in Sports by 501 LIFE SEARCY – Harding University women’s track and field high jumper Kiera Blankinship has been named to the College Sports Communicators Second Team Academic All-America, recognizing her exceptional achievements both on the track and in the classroom. It was her […]

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