Homecoming will be extra special at UNI this weekend. Along with the traditional home football game, the Panthers are celebrating 40 years of volleyball competition with a pair of matches and a reunion.

Many of the program's former players are returning to the Cedar Falls campus for activities marking the milestone.

"There's so much pride in our alumni in what our program did when they were here, and what it continues to do," Head Coach Bobbi Petersen said. "When we get together and talk, it's not going to be about the wins or the seasons. It's going to be about all the other special memories that we've had over that time. That's what comes to the forefront, along with all the special relationships we've built over the years."

Petersen has been part of the program for 29 years, first as a player and then as an assistant coach. She is in her 15th season guiding her alma mater.

"It's pretty emotional just to be able to be a part of it," Petersen said of the reunion and 40-year celebration. "There's obviously been a ton of success throughout the years, but it's really about the people. What this program has meant to them, and what they've been able to go out and do after they leave here, are some of the things we're (coaching staff) most proud of."

Most of the activities for the 40-year celebration will be held on Saturday, when the Panthers host Bradley at 7 p.m. in the McLeod Center. The match follows the UNI-Northern Colorado football game, which kicks-off at 4:05 p.m. in the UNI-Dome. Tickets for the football game will get fans into the volleyball match free.

UNI's volleyball match against Bradley will be the second of the weekend for the Panthers. They open Missouri Valley Conference play at 7 p.m. Friday, hosting Loyola of Chicago. Friday is UNI's childhood cancer awareness match and all fans are encouraged to wear gold to support the team and the event.

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