Current
Issue
UNIToday
Archives
Submit
Class Notes
Alumni
Home
|
||||
Current |
UNIToday |
Submit |
Alumni |
|
 |
 |
From a move across the street to an appearance in the NCAA tournament, the UNI volleyball team had a season to remember. Returning five starters, the Panthers were the team to beat in the Missouri Valley Conference and faced mounting expectations throughout the season.
UNI started the season 5-4 with a tough loss at Iowa State and a 3-1 loss to Kansas State in the Panthers’ own tournament. UNI’s season started to turn around during the final two matches of that tourney as it beat national powerhouses Alabama (3-2) and Notre Dame (3-2) in the West Gym. From then on, the Panthers made a 23-4 run, losing only to Minnesota, Wichita State and No. 1-ranked Nebraska.
UNI volleyball said its goodbyes to the West Gym, a place that holds many memories of win streaks and conference championships. The Panthers christened the McLeod Center with a huge win against Bradley, earning their 13th regular-season MVC title.
Head coach Bobbi Petersen took MVC Coach of the Year for the first time in her career. She holds an overall record of 181-50 in seven years at UNI’s helm. UNI placed five players on all-conference teams as junior Kristin Belzung, seniors Trista Humpal and Laura Rowen earned first-team honors, junior Danielle Brazda took second-team honors and Shannon Aschoff made the all-freshman team. UNI led the Valley in hitting percentage (.241) and blocks (3.3/game).
UNI took the No. 1 seed into the State Farm MVC tournament and with sweeps over Creighton and Missouri State took the championship and the automatic berth into the NCAA tournament. The Panthers won their 11th straight in the first round of the NCAA tournament, defeating Winthrop 3-1. They fell to the Nebraska Cornhuskers, eventual National Champions. The Panthers finished the season 28-8, 16-2 in the MVC.
“I am so proud of this 2006 team and what it accomplished. It was truly an historic year with the last match played in the West Gym and the first match in the McLeod Center,” Petersen said. “This team started preparation for this season back in January. They were focused, determined, and they fought every day to get better.”
FootballThe Panthers picked up wins at Gateway Champion Youngstown State (31-23) and against Illinois State (38-27). However, early season losses to North Dakota (35-31) and at Iowa State (28-27) haunted the Panthers throughout the season.
UNI welcomed former UNI head coach Terry Allen (1989-1996), head coach of Missouri State, back to the UNI-Dome for Homecoming with a 38-7 rout of the Bears. UNI also won Gateway contests at Indiana State (34-14) and against Western Kentucky (31-20). In the end, losses to Southern Illinois (47-23) and Western Illinois (24-13) kept UNI from the NCAA Division I Football Championship Playoffs.
Senior cornerback Dre Dokes, junior offensive tackle Chad Rinehart and senior kicker Brian Wingert were all-Gateway first-team picks. Senior wide receiver James Lindgren was named ESPN The Magazine First Team Academic All-American and freshman running back Darian Williams was named Gateway Conference Newcomer of the Year, rushing for 653 yards and five touchdowns.
UNI finished the season 7-4 overall and 5-2 in the Gateway.
SoccerThe Panthers found their first win of the season at Illinois State, defeating the Redbirds 1-0. Junior Jackie Gielau recorded a 10-yard scoring strike and goalkeeper Heidi O’Mara finished with eight saves in the win. On senior night, UNI won another defensive battle against Creighton, a 1-0 win over the Bluejays.
Gielau and junior Amy Seubert earned MVC all-conference second-team honors and Katie McBride took a place on the MVC all-freshman team. Seubert was named to ESPN The Magazine’s Academic All-District second team with a team-leading 27 shots and a 3.95 GPA. UNI finished 2-16-0, 2-4 in the MVC.
Cross CountryThe UNI women’s cross country team concluded the 2006 season with a 13th-place finish at the NCAA Midwest Regionals after a fourth-place finish at the MVC Championships. Junior Traci Hawley earned all-conference honors, finishing third at the MVC Championships, while sophomore Caedryn Schrunk took eighth, claiming all-conference honors for the second consecutive season.
UNI men’s cross country was led by freshman Dorian Ulrey, who took first place at the Drake Classic (4K) and won the Bradley Open (8K). He led the team to a fifth-place finish at the MVC Championships, earning all-conference honors with a second-place finish. Catch the Panthers at http://unipanthers.cstv.com |
