Northern Iowa volleyball coach Bobbi Peterson says versatility will be a strength heading into the new season. The Panthers lost five seniors off last year’s team that finished 27-8 and made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Peterson is entering her 24th season as head coach and has led the Panthers to 16 trips to the NCAA Tournament.

Peterson has put together another challenging non-conference schedule.

UNI opens with tournaments at Western Michigan, Creighton and Texas A&M.

The Panthers play Villanova at the Western Michigan Tournament on August 25th. UNI is the preseason favorite in the MVC volleyball poll. Drake has been picked to finish second.