Nov. 17, 2011
- 2011 Media Guide
- Iowa Volleyball Promotional Events
- Download your Iowa Hawkeye iPhone app!
- Iowa and the Big Ten Network
- Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch
FIRST SERVE
The University of Iowa volleyball team hosts Wisconsin and No. 19 Minnesota this weekend on Mediacom Court inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes face Wisconsin on Friday at 7 p.m. and 19th-ranked Minnesota on Saturday at 7 p.m. Admission is $3 for adults and free for UI students with a valid ID and youth age 18 and younger.
WEEKEND PROMOTIONS
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FRIDAY – CARNIVAL NIGHT – ELEMENTARY, JHC, BIG BROTHERS/BIG SISTERS NIGHT
- FREE cotton candy for the first 100 Fans
- FREE carnival games on the concourse
- raffle for an autographed volleyball by head coach Sharon Dingman
SATURDAY – LITTLE SPIKERS & CLUB VOLLEYBALL NIGHT
- FREE Hawkeye keychains for the first 100 Fans
- raffle for an autographed volleyball by head coach Sharon Dingman
ON YOUR COMPUTER – HAWKEYE ALL-ACCESS
Both weekend contests will be streamed live on hawkeyesports.com via Hawkeye All-Access, a subscription service committed to providing quality coverage of University of Iowa athletic events. The voice of Iowa volleyball, Ian Martin, will provide live coverage from Carver-Hawkeye Arena beginning Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. CT.
OFFICIAL IOWA VOLLEYBALL BLOG
Live interactive content is available this weekend via the Official Iowa Volleyball Blog at hawkeyesports.com. Former Hawkeye Katie Kennedy and manager Melissa Brockway are the official hosts of the 2011 blog.
WISCONSIN (Nov. 18)
Head Coach: Pete Waite (13th season, 287-128)
2011 Record/Conference: 15-13, 7-9 (tied for 7th)
Top Performers: Annemarie Hickey, So., L, leads the Big Ten averaging 4.62 digs per set and ranks sixth in the conference with 0.34 aces per set; Alexis Mitchell, Jr., MB, ranks 10th in the Big Ten averaging 1.02 blocks per set.
Series Record/Last Meeting: UW leads 43-20-1/UW 3-0 (2011, at Wisconsin)
Streak: Wisconsin, 4
Iowa’s last win: Sept. 23, 2009, 3-1 (Madison)
No. 19 MINNESOTA (Nov. 19)
Interim Head Coach: Laura Bush (first season, 15-10)
2011 Record/Conference: 15-10, 8-8 (tied for 5th)
Top Performers: Jessica Granquist, Sr., S, leads the Gophers and ranks fourth in the Big Ten averaging 4.50 digs per set; Tori Dixon, So., MB, ranks fifth in the Big Ten averaging 0.34 aces per set; Ashley Wittman, So., OH, ranks second in Big Ten with 5.03 points per set and 4.60 kills per set.
Series Record/Last Meeting: UM leads 58-12/UM 3-0 (2011, at Minnesota)
Streak: Minnesota, 32
Iowa’s last win: Sept. 22, 1995, 3-1 (Iowa City)
CHASE FOR 300
With 32 more kills over Iowa’s final four matches, Alex Lovell could become the first Hawkeye freshman to reach 300 kills in a single season since Catherine Smale in 2005. Lovell leads Iowa with 268 kills. No freshman has led Iowa in kills in a single season since Smale hammered 441 kills in 2005.
SECOND YEAR ASSISTS
Sophomore Nikki Dailey leads Iowa with 997 assists. With three more helpers, she’ll be the first Hawkeye to reach 1,000 assists in a single season since Kiley Fister dished 1,020 in 2008. She’ll also finish the season as Iowa’s leader in assists. The last Hawkeye sophomore to lead the team in assists was Fister in 2006. Dailey has 1,303 career assists, the seventh highest total in program history (records since 1983).
HUSZ IN THE HISTORY BOOKS
Senior Mallory Husz’s .216 career attack percentage ranks 18th in Iowa program history. Husz is swinging at a .239 percentage this year after setting a career high with a .238 percentage in 2010.
YEAGER DIGS INTO THE TOP 20 Bethany Yeager has 461 digs this season, one shy of the 462 mark she set last year as a freshman. Her 923 career digs rank 17th all-time in program history.
YOUTH MOVEMENT
Through 29 matches, the Hawkeyes’ freshmen and sophomores have combined for 62-percent of Iowa’s starts. Sophomores Bethany Yeager and Nikki Dailey have started every match this season. Chante’ Thompson (9), Rachael Bedell (5) and Grace Burns have also cracked the starting seven. Iowa’s freshmen starters include Alex Lovell (24), Emily Yanny (15), Erin Leppek (9) and Kari Mueller (5).
YANNY IN THE MIDDLE
Freshman Emily Yanny has totaled 25 kills since being reinserted into the starting lineup three games ago. She slammed 10 kills and recorded career highs in digs (7) and total blocks (9) vs. No. 23 Michigan, and recorded a Big Ten career high 11 kills at No. 10 Purdue. She also finished with four kills and three total blocks vs. Indiana. Yanny has 116 kills this season, the second highest total among Hawkeye freshman (Lovell, 268).
SENIOR APPRECIATION
Iowa’s three seniors, Megan Eskew, Mallory Husz and Tiffany Nilges, combined for 35 kills, 40 digs and 11 blocks in Iowa’s five-set loss to No. 23 Michigan. Eskew and Nilges finished with identical lines of 10 kills and 19 digs. The dig totals marked career bests for both student-athletes.
YEAGER MISSES SET
Sophomore Bethany Yeager missed the first set of her career against Michigan State (11/4). Yeager was battling back pain and did not play in the third set. Junior Allison Straumann served as Iowa’s libero in Yeager’s absence. Yeager returned the following night and played all five sets vs. No. 23 Michigan (11/5). She has started every one of Iowa’s 58 matches since arriving on campus in 2010.
BIG BLUE BLOCK PARTY
The Hawkeyes recorded 16 blocks vs. No. 23 Michigan on Nov. 5. The total was Iowa’s season best and the highest total since Iowa stuffed 18 blocks vs. Southern Illinois on Aug. 28, 2010. It was Iowa’s highest total vs. a Big Ten opponent since Iowa stuffed 16.5 blocks vs. Wisconsin on Nov. 11, 2009.
DIGGING 101
The Hawkeyes picked up 101 digs in a five-set loss to Michigan (11/5) Only one other Big Ten team has recorded 100-plus digs in a match this season — Michigan — the Wolverines picked up 102 digs in the same match.
HAWKEYES IN THE TOP 10
Two Hawkeyes are ranked in the conference top 10 in three categories. Sophomore Nikki Dailey ranks eighth in service aces per set (0.28) and ninth in assist per set (9.15). Sophomore Bethany Yeager ranks sixth averaging 4.30 digs per set.
LOOKING FOR THE FIRST K.O. OF GOLIATH
The Hawkeyes will have another shot at a ranked opponent Saturday night vs. No. 19 Minnesota. The Hawkeyes have defeated at least one top 25 team in each of Sharon Dingman’s three seasons. Iowa’s top 25 victories since 2008 include: vs. No. 18 Wisconsin (3-0, 2008); vs. No. 18 Michigan State (3-0, 2009); vs. No. 16 Michigan (3-1, 2010).
I LOVELL THIS PLACE
Freshman Alex Lovell has made a home in Iowa City and on top of Iowa’s box scores. Lovell leads the Hawkeyes with 268 kills, averaging a team-high 2.60 kills per set. Her 19 kills vs. Ohio State (9/23) were the most by a Hawkeye freshman vs. a Big Ten opponent since Catherine Smale totaled 21 kills vs. Michigan State in 2005. Lovell has recorded double-digit kills in 11 matches, which ties senior Megan Eskew for the team lead. Lovell also leads Iowa with 138 kills in conference play (2.46 average).
YEAGER DIGS THE D
Sophomore Bethany Yeager ranks fourth in the Big Ten with 461 total digs. Her 4.27 average leads the Hawkeyes and ranks No. 6 in the conference. Yeager picked up 4.36 digs per set during her freshman campaign, the fourth highest total in the Big Ten.
LEADING THE DAILEY-DOUBLE
Sophomore Nikki Dailey has 12 double-doubles this season, three more than senior Megan Eskew. Eskew’s double-doubles come in the form of kills-digs, while Dailey uses the assist-dig combination to accomplish the feat. Eskew’s most impressive effort came in Iowa’s five-set win over Oakland when she recorded a career high 19 kills and a career best 18 digs. Dailey had a career-high 60 assists in the same match. Mallory Husz (1), Alex Lovell (5) and Tiffany Nilges (6) have also recorded double-doubles this season.
HAWKEYE IRONWOMEN
Three Hawkeyes have started all 29 of Iowa’s matches. They include Megan Eskew, Bethany Yeager and Nikki Dailey. Eskew and Yeager started all 29 matches last season, extending their streak of consecutive starts to 58. Yeager has not missed a start in her collegiate career.
ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS
Seven Hawkeyes earned all-tournament honors following Iowa’s four preseason tournaments. They include Bethany Yeager (Hawkeye Challenge, Iowa State Challenge, Iowa Invitational); Nikki Dailey (Hawkeye Challenge, Iowa Invitational); Alex Lovell (Iowa Invitational, Columbia Invitational); Megan Eskew (Iowa State Invitational); Mallory Husz (MVP Columbia Invitational); Tiffany Nilges (MVP Iowa Invitational); Chante’ Thompson (Columbia Invitational).
TEAM CAPTAINS
Seniors Megan Eskew and Mallory Husz have been voted team captains for the 2011 season. Husz leads the Hawkeyes in total blocks (64) and Eskew ranks second in both kills (189) and digs (228).
BLACK & GOLD REPRESENTING THE RED, WHITE AND BLUE
Sophomores Rachael Bedell and Bethany Yeager each earned the opportunity to compete for USA Volleyball during the 2011 summer. Bedell helped lead the Women’s Junior A2-Europe Program to a gold medal at the European Global Challenge July 14-22. Yeager helped Team USA grab bronze in the International Junior Division of the USA High Performance Championships in Tucson, Ariz., July 26-29.