Panthers finally crack Top 25

By Doug Newhoff, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Iowa

Nov. 3--CEDAR FALLS -- It has taken 20 consecutive victories and a 12-0 start to the Missouri Valley Conference season, but the University of Northern Iowa has finally cracked the American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25.

Now 22-2 after a non-league sweep at South Dakota State and a home court MVC romp over Bradley, UNI slipped into the ratings Monday in a 25th-place tie.

Head coach Bobbi Petersen said during UNI's weekly coaches' luncheon Monday that her team hasn't gotten caught up in streaks, records or ratings.

"I'm sure our kids know it by reading papers and things like that, but we never talk about it," she related. "We just talk about our focus for the week and who we have for the weekend."

That single-minded approach has been a key to UNI's success, Petersen noted.

"I just think the biggest thing is the effort our kids have put forth every single day," she said. "The exciting thing about it is they know they want to be better at some things, so I think that's the drive every day at practice.

"The biggest thing, also, is the ability to take one match at a time. That's been a huge focus. Even though that's always a focus for our coaches, you don't always know if your kids are feeling that."

Petersen said her team had exceptional performances in both wins.

UNI hit .457 while blowing out the Jackrabbits. Krista DeGeest, a freshman middle, hit .714 and finished with 11 kills. Against Bradley, the Panthers hit .393 with three players at .600 or better.

"Two matches in a row where we were well over the goal that we want offensively," said Petersen, who wasn't as impressed with her team's defense. "Even though we performed pretty well as a whole, our defense was not quite where it has been the last few weeks.

"I thought we were maybe a step behind this week in our defense. That's something we're definitely going to address in practice. We can't afford to be improving on the offensive side and letting our defense slow down at all."

UNI is home for a pair of MVC matches this weekend. The Panthers host Illinois State Friday at the McLeod Center, followed by Indiana State Saturday.

MEN'S BASKETBALL: Head coach Ben Jacobson's team defeated Upper Iowa in its exhibition opener and is looking forward to Saturday's preseason matchup against North Carolina-Pembroke at noon Saturday in the McLeod Center.

Pembroke is coached by Ben Miller, the son of former Panther head coach Eldon Miller, who is serving as an assistant coach for his son. UNI will honor the popular Miller, who was a driving force behind the McLeod Center, along with his wife, Dee, by proclaiming Saturday Eldon and Dee Miller Day.

"I think most of us are obviously well aware of the impact Eldon has had on this basketball program, that Eldon and Dee have had on the Cedar Valley, the university ... their impact is far-reaching," said Jacobson.

As far as the Panthers, Jacobson gave his team a mixed review following the Upper Iowa game.

"As with most first times on the court, there was some good and there were plenty of things we've got a lot of work to do with," he said.

CROSS COUNTRY: UNI competed at a sloppy Missouri Valley Conference championship Saturday.

"When we pulled up, there was standing water on the golf course where we were going to run," said coach Dave Paulson. "It had rained in Peoria (Ill.) 12 of the last 14 days heading into this meet.

"Basically every step you took, whether it was in a low spot or a high spot, you were sinking in about a half-inch to an inch into the ground. Most of the times this weekend were about a minute and a half to two minutes slower than each athlete would have normally ran."

Paulson's youthful women's team, made up of all freshmen and sophomores, was seventh.

"The girls competed very well," he said. "It's nowhere near where we want to be, but what I did see through the season was that our women's team did a great job of getting better every week."

On the men's side, UNI was fourth, it's best finish since the 2003 season.

"Fourth place again is not where we want to be looking to the future, but it's definitely a step in the right direction," said Paulson. "We're very happy with that and we're just going to build on it from there."

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