Koop taking charge with young UNI volleyball team

CEDAR FALLS – Rachel Koop is going to make sure that she makes the most of each of her final days with the University of Northern Iowa volleyball team.
  
The fifth-year senior and Dike-New Hartford alum is back on the court as a setter for the Panthers after earning first-team All-MVC and first-team AVCA All-Midwest Region honors last season.
  
"She's done a great job of growing over the spring," UNI head coach Bobbi Petersen said. "Not only growing technically but also with her volleyball IQ and putting hitters in the best situation to score. And of course, she doesn't just set, she has to block, defend, serve, and she's worked to improve in those areas as well."
  
UNI was picked by MVC coaches as the unanimous preseason favorite to win the conference this season, with preseason all-conference picks Rachel Koop and Karlie Taylor leading the way.
  
The Panthers return five starters from last season's 24-10 squad that shared the regular-season MVC title and won the postseason MVC tournament for the first time since 2010 before getting knocked out of the opening round of the NCAA tournament by Pepperdine in five sets.
  
"They did a good job of using that as motivation coming into the spring and summer months," Petersen said. "I'm proud of how our team has handled and neutralized some of the challenges that we have with such a young team."
 
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