Hawkeyes Serve Up Cy-Hawk Series Friday at 7 p.m.

Sept. 8, 2010

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IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa volleyball team serves up the 2010 Cy-Hawk Series hosting Iowa State Friday at 7 p.m. inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Admission is $3 for adults. Kids high school age and younger and UI students with a valid school ID get in free. Fans in attendance will also be able to register for a chance to win great Hawkeye prizes, including:

HAWKEYES ONLINE
Hawkeye fans unable to attend Friday’s match can follow the action by visiting hawkeyesports.com. Live audio will be available via Hawkeye All-Access. Voice of Iowa volleyball Jordan Loperena will call the action live from Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Fans can also follow the action via Gametracker or the official Iowa volleyball blog. Former Hawkeye Katie Kennedy will host a live blog during each home match this season. The official Iowa volleyball blog gives diehard Hawkeye fans the opportunity to voice their opinion by submitting questions and comments, while receiving up-to-the-minute play-by-play, notes and stats about the Hawkeyes. Audio, video, Gametracker and blog links can be found on the volleyball schedule page of hawkeyesports.com.

IOWA ON THE BTN.com
Friday’s match will be streamed live on BigTenNetwork.com. BigTenNetwork.com is a subscription based service. Fans interested in watching the Hawkeyes should visit BigTenNetwork.com and create a personal profile page.

IOWA ON THE BTN
The Hawkeyes will make three appearances on national television this season. Each of Iowa’s contests versus No. 12 Minnesota (10/6, 10/27) and the home match against Northwestern (10/30) will be televised live on the Big Ten Network. All three matches will be broadcast in high-definition.

HAWKEYE FAITHFUL
Iowa currently ranks No. 24 in national attendance after averaging 1,024 fans at the season-opening Hawkeye Challenge. The Hawkeyes ranked 23rd in national attendance a year ago and have set season attendance records in each of Dingman’s first two seasons. A then-school record 2,411 showed up to watch Iowa host Iowa State in 2009.

JOHNNY FIVE IS ALIVE
Three times this season the Hawkeyes have played into the fifth and final set and each time Iowa has come out the victor. The Hawkeyes rallied from two sets down to top Southern Illinois (8/28), nearly lost a two-set advantage before topping Creighton (9/4) and rallied from a 2-1 deficit to beat Saint Louis (9/4). Iowa was 2-1 in five-set matches last season.

HUSZ HOSTING THIS BLOCK PARTY?
Junior Mallory Husz ranks sixth among her conference peers in blocks per set (1.42). Iowa’s 6-0 middle blocker leads the Big Ten with eight solo blocks and has the highest single-game block total this season. Husz totaled 11 blocks in Iowa’s five-set win over Southern Illinois (8/28).

FRESHMAN PICK-ME-UP
The Hawkeyes rank No. 1 in the Big Ten in digs per set (17.42) thanks in large part to freshman Bethany Yeager. Iowa’s 5-7 libero ranks second in the Big Ten averaging 5.27 digs per set. Her 137 total digs leads the conference and her 33 digs against Creighton ties for the highest single-match total among Big Ten players and ranks as the sixth highest total in program history.

ACES WILD
Senior Becky Walters has served at least one ace in each of Iowa’s six matches this season. The 6-3 middle blocker has done a lot of damage from the service line, totaling 15 aces this season, the second-highest total in the Big Ten.

STEVENS LEADS CONFERENCE IN CHARITABLE WORK
Junior Paige Stevens dished a career-high 59 assists in Iowa’s 3-2 win over Creighton (9/4), the highest individual assist total in the Big Ten. Stevens’ 52 assists vs. Southern Illinois (8/28) ranks as the fourth highest assist total in the conference.

HAWKEYES DOMINATE ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS
Marcia E. Hamilton Active Ankle Challenge
Freshman Bethany Yeager was named tournament MVP at the Marcia E. Hamilton Active Ankle Challenge in St. Louis, Mo. (Sept. 3-4). The 5-7 libero averaged 5.3 digs per set to lead Iowa to its second tournament championship in as many weekends. Junior Mallory Husz was named to the all-tournament team.

Hawkeye Challenge
Four Hawkeyes earned all-tournament honors at the 2010 Hawkeye Challenge, including Husz, who was named tournament MVP. The 6-0 middle blocker averaged 12 kills and 6.7 blocks as Iowa swept through the three-match challenge. Yeager was named the tournament’s top libero after averaging 5.25 digs per set. Senior Becky Walters and junior Megan Eskew were named to the all-tournament team.

HISTORY IN THE MAKING
For the first time in program history, the Iowa volleyball team started 3-0 in consecutive seasons. Iowa swept through the Hawkeye Challenge to post its 3-0 record this year. In 2009, the Hawkeyes matched the best start in program history by winning their first six matches. The Hawkeyes’ 5-1 start in 2010 matches the second-best start in program history. Only the 1978, 1988 and 2009 teams started the season with a better record (6-0).

DEEP IN THE HEARTLAND
The Hawkeyes have four incoming freshmen on the roster, including three from the Lone Star State. Freshmen Bethany Yeager (Brenham, TX), Chante’ Thompson (Hurst, TX) and Rachael Bedell (Plano, TX) all come from the state of Texas. The trio is joined by freshman Nikki Dailey (Franklin, WI). Iowa’s freshmen quartet represents a 2010 recruiting class that earned Highest Honorable Mention by PrepVolleyball.com.

HAWKEYE CAPTAINS
Senior Becky Walters and junior Megan Eskew will serve as team captains for the 2010 season. Walters, a fifth-year senior from Parkersburg, IA, recorded a career-best 181 kills in 2009, the third highest total on the team. Eskew missed 2009 with a knee injury but returned to the court with a bang by earning all-tournament honors at the season-opening Hawkeye Challenge.