Coaching Staff/Support Staff

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Bobbi Petersen - Head Coach (24th year)

Bobbi Petersen A name synonymous with UNI Volleyball, Petersen completed her 24th season as the head coach of the Panthers in 2023. She has compiled an impressive 583-209 record at the helm including 17 NCAA Tournament appearances, 11 Missouri Valley Conference regular season titles, 11 MVC tournament championships, and two NCAA "Sweet 16" appearances. Petersen has also been named MVC Coach of the Year a record nine times (2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2019, 2022, 2023), AVCA Regional Coach of the Year four times (2001, 2002, 2018, 2019), and AVCA National Coach of the Year in 2002. She has won 20 or more matches in 20 of her 24 years as a head coach.

During her tenure as head coach, Petersen has helped 67 student-athletes earn First-Team All-MVC honors including 14 conference Player of the Year honorees. She has also placed 23 student-athletes on the league’s All-Freshman Teams. In addition, she has helped 34 athletes earn AVCA All-Region honors, and 15 Panthers have been named AVCA All-America honorees.

Academically, the Panthers have shined under Petersen’s guidance as well. A total of 42 players have earned First-Team MVC Scholar-Athlete honors during her time at the helm with 11 women earning College Sports Communicators Academic All-America honors (formerly CoSIDA).

Petersen and her husband, Duane, reside in Dike with their two sets of twin daughters, Baylee and Sydney, and Jadyn and Payton. Both Baylee and Sydney played for the Panthers, with Sydney joining the UNI roster in 2022 after four seasons as a libero at the University of Texas.

Kim Davis - Assistant Coach (22nd year)

Former Panther standout Kim Davis completed her 22nd year on head coach Bobbi Petersen’s coaching staff in 2023.

In recent history Kim helped coach 2023 All-MVC First Team outside hitter Emily Holterhaus, 2022 MVC Libero of the Year Sydney Petersen, as well as 2019 MVC Player of the Year Karlie Taylor.

In the past 22 years Davis has helped coach the Panthers to 11 MVC Regular Season titles and 11 MVC Tournament titles. The Panthers have made 17 NCAA Tournaments in her tenure.

The Panthers have had seven players take home the MVC Player of the Year award since Davis has been on staff. In her time as an assistant coach, 62 Panthers have earned All-Conference recognition, and 16 Panthers have been named to the All-Freshman Team.

Davis has been instrumental in academic success of the Panther student athletes. Under her watch the Panthers have had 54 MVC Scholar-Athletes and five Academic All-America honorees from College Sports Communicators (formerly CoSIDA).

A native of Carroll, Iowa, the former Kim McCaffrey was one of the best players in UNI history, having been named to the Missouri Valley Conference All-Centennial Volleyball Team in 2006. She helped lead UNI to its second NCAA Sweet 16 appearance as a senior in 2001, earning First Team All-Conference honors for the third time and being selected to the All-Central Region squad.

Kim entered the UNI Hall of Fame in 2018.

She and her husband, Shane, have a son, Camden and two daughters, Taylor and Paige.

Jason Allen - Assistant Coach (5th year)

Jason Allen completed his 5th season with the Panthers in 2023.

In his five years at UNI the Panthers have won three MVC Regular Season Championships (2019, 2022, 2023), two MVC Tournament Championship (2022, 2023), advanced to the NCAA Tournament three times (2019, 2022, 2023), and have one NCAA Tournament win (2022 vs Florida State). He has also helped coach three MVC Setters of the Year (2019, 2022, 2023), eight All-MVC First Team, two MVC Tournament MVP's (2022 & 2023), and three AVCA All-Region players.

Allen has had coaching stops at Houston, Marquette, Iowa, Sam Houston State, North Dakota State, and Southwest Minnesota State.

Allen is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist (2000). Jason and his wife, Jennifer, have two daughters Sophia and Abigail.

Michelle Bolte - Director of Volleyball Operations (22nd year)

Michelle Bolte completed her 22nd year as Director of Volleyball Operations for the Panther program in 2023.

Bolte coordinates team travel, match personnel, and merchandise, along with numerous other behind-the-scenes duties. She was a four-year letterwinner for the Panthers as a defensive specialist from 1992-95. She racked up 430 digs over her career, and UNI posted a cumulative record of 98-19 during her career, with two NCAA tournament appearances.

Bolte is a 1996 graduate of UNI with a degree in therapeutic recreation. She and her husband, Kurt, live in Dike. Together they have six children, Broden, Avery, Brielle, Kara, Kelsey and Kaleb. Bolte is also the sister of UNI head volleyball coach Bobbi Petersen.