COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO – Bobbi Petersen, the head women’s volleyball at the University of Northern Iowa, has been selected the 2002 AVCA/Tachikara Division I National Coach of the Year.

Petersen led the Panthers to the NCAA Tournament regional tournament semifinal round for the second straight year. Northern Iowa ranked as high as sixth in the USA Today/AVCA Coaches Top 25 Poll, an all-time best for the Panther program. UNI finished with a 34-3 record with key wins over top-10 teams Florida, Pepperdine and Minnesota. The Panthers were awarded the number-four seed overall in the NCAA Tournament and the top seed in the East Regional.

Northern Iowa captured its fifth consecutive Missouri Valley Conference title in 2002 with a 17-1 mark. Last year she became the first person in conference history to win the MVC title as a player and coach.

Petersen holds a career record of 83-14 in three seasons as a head coach, including a 31-2 mark in 2001 in her first year as permanent head coach of the Panthers. She has earned the AVCA/Tachikara Central Region Coach of the Year the last two seasons. Petersen also tallied an 18-9 mark in 1997 when she served as interim head coach.

As a player at UNI from 1986 to 1989, the former Bobbi Becker was a three-time first-team all-conference selection and two-time AVCA All-Region pick. She still holds eight school records and places second in 10 other categories. Petersen compiled a school-record 1,457 digs, as well as 1,611 career kills. She competed professionally for Iowa Blizzard in 1996-97 and was selected to the all-pro team.

Petersen earned her bachelor’s degree in therapeutic recreation in 1990 and her master’s degree in physical education in 1992 at UNI.

The 2002 Tachikara/AVCA National Coach of the Year award was presented Dec. 19 at the AVCA/Tachikara Coach of the Year Banquet, held in New Orleans in conjunction with the AVCA Annual Convention.

- AVCA -