Oct. 21, 2015
- Read the October issue of Hawk Talk Monthly
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- Download your Iowa Hawkeye iPhone/iPad app
- Download your Iowa Hawkeye android app
- Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch
THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa volleyball team returns to Carver-Hawkeye Arena for a pair of Big Ten contests this weekend. The Hawkeyes face No. 16 Wisconsin on Friday, Oct. 23, before hosting No. 9 Minnesota on Saturday, Oct. 24.
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LIVE ON BTN
Friday’s contest against Wisconsin will be televised live on BTN. First serve is set for 7 p.m. (CT) on Mediacom Court in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Mike Wolf and Audrey Flaugh will have the call. Saturday’s match against Minnesota will be streamed live online via BTN Plus. To see if your cable package gives you access to BTN Plus content, sign up for BTN Plus or learn more about it, visit btn2go.com.
LISTEN/FOLLOW ALONG
Both contests will air live on KXIC Radio. Live audio is also available on Hawkeye All-Access at hawkeyesports.com. Second-year play-by-play announcer Tim Keating will call the action. Live stats are available for each contest. Links can be found on the volleyball schedule page at hawkeyesports.com.
FOLLOW THE HAWKEYES
For an inside look at the Iowa Volleyball program and access to exclusive coverage, “like” University of Iowa Volleyball on Facebook and follow @IowaVolleyball on Twitter and Instagram. Be sure to follow the team’s live Twitter feed, @IowaVB_Live, for more frequent in-match tweets, statistics and more.
BLACKOUT
Saturday’s match against Minnesota is a blackout. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive an Iowa volleyball blackout t-shirt.
ALUMNI DAY
The University of Iowa volleyball team will host its annual Alumni Day on Saturday, Nov. 21, when the Hawkeyes host Northwestern at 7 p.m. (CT).
Former players who RSVP by Thursday, Nov. 12, will receive free admission to the match as well as a link to tickets for the Iowa football game against Purdue on Nov. 21 (Kickoff TBA). To receive more information and RSVP, contact Bre Payton at breann-payton@iowavolleyball.com.
NATIONAL RANKINGS
Eleven of Iowa’s 2015 opponents appear in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top 25 Poll, released on Oct. 20. No. 3 Nebraska, No. 5 Penn State, No. 6 Ohio State, No. 8 Hawaii, No. 9 Minnesota, No. 10 UCLA, No. 16 Wisconsin, No. 18 Illinois, No. 19 Purdue, and No. 23 Michigan are ranked within the top 25, while Michigan State is receiving votes.
ALL-TIME SERIES – WISCONSIN
• Wisconsin leads Iowa. 50-20-1, all-time.
• The Hawkeyes have not defeated the Badgers since Nov. 11, 2009, when they defeated Wisconsin in five sets (19-25, 25-17, 25-16, 20-25, 15-8) at home. The same year, Iowa earned a four-set win (25-21, 19-25, 25-22, 25-18) in Madison on Sept. 23.
ALL-TIME SERIES – MINNESOTA
• Minnesota leads Iowa, 64-12, all-time.
• The Hawkeyes last defeated the Golden Gophers on Sept. 22, 1995, in four sets (7-15, 15-11, 15-4, 15-10) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
According to the NCAA, the Hawkeyes have the third-strongest strength of schedule in Division I Volleyball — the highest ranking among Big Ten opponents. Northwestern (6th), Nebraska (9th), Ohio State (10th), Wisconsin (11th), and Illinois (13) also made the top 15. Iowa currently owns a team RPI of 42.
ATTENDANCE RECORDS
Iowa has set two top 10 attendance marks this season. The Hawkeyes downed the Cyclones in front of the fifth largest crowd in program history (2,488) on Sept. 11, before hosting the nationally ranked Huskers on Sept. 23 in front of 2,447 fans — the sixth largest crowd in program history.
A POWERHOUSE CONFERENCE
Nine Big Ten teams are included in the AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 Poll, released on Oct 20. No. 3 Nebraska, No. 5 Penn State, No. 6 Ohio State, and No. 9 Minnesota appear in the top 10, while No. 16 Wisconsin, No. 18 Illinois, No. 19 Purdue, and No. 23 Michigan also made the list. Michigan State (15) is receiving votes in the poll.
IN THE BIG TEN – TEAM RANKINGS
• Iowa ranks second in the Big Ten conference in team assists with 943.
• The Hawkeyes have tallied 990 kills this season, the third most in the Big Ten.
• Iowa has 1,044 total digs on the season, the fourth highest total in the conference.
• Iowa has registered 87 aces on the season, the fourth high total in the Big Ten.
• The Hawkeyes average 1.18 aces per set, the fifth-best average in the Big Ten.
IN THE BIG TEN – INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
• Junior Loxley Keala leads the conference in total assists (817).
• Sophomore Annika Olsen ranks second the Big Ten in total digs (348) and digs per set average (4.70).
• Keala has the fifth-best assist per set average in the Big Ten (11.04).
• Junior Lauren Brobst ranks eighth in the conference with a 3.38 kills per set average.
• Senior Mikaela Gunderson owns a .352 hitting percentage this season — the eighth best average in the Big Ten.
NATIONALLY SPEAKING
• Junior Loxley Keala‘s 11.04 assists per set average ranks 31st nationally.
• Keala is ranked 39th nationally in total assists (817).
QUICK HITTERS
• Senior Mikaela Gunderson leads the team with a .352 attack percentage — the eighth best average in the Big Ten.
• Gunderson has already surpassed her 2014 kills total. Through 21 matches, Gunderson has 156 kills (2014: 110).
• The Hawkeyes have improved their hitting percentage from a year ago. Through 21 contests this season, the Hawkeyes own a .241 attack percentage. Through 21 matches in 2014, Iowa owned a .201 hitting percentage.
FRESHMEN MAKE AN IMPACT
• Freshman Molly Kelly is currently ranked fourth among league freshmen in service aces per set average (0.25). Kelly has 18 service aces this season.
• Freshman Reagan Davey is fifth among conference freshmen in kills per set average (2.40).
• Freshmen Libby Koukol (2.04) and Davey (1.91) are ranked nineth and 11th, respectively, among Big Ten freshmen in digs per set average.
A CAREER NIGHT
• Freshman Reagan Davey posted career highs in kills (21), total attempts (45), digs (12), and blocks (3) against No. 24 Michigan on Oct. 7.
• Sophomore Jess Janota recorded a career-high six blocks in the contest.
• Junior Loxley Keala dished out a career-high 64 assists against the Wolverines — the highest single-match assist total in the Big Ten this season.
B1G SETTER OF THE WEEK
University of Iowa junior Loxley Keala was named Big Ten Conference Setter of the Week for her performance at the Comfort Suites Challenge on Sept. 11-12. It is the first conference honor of Keala’s career. The Kaneohe, Hawaii, native is the first Hawkeye to earn a Big Ten weekly award since Bethany Yeager was named defensive player of the week on Sept. 2, 2013. Keala is the first Hawkeye in program history to win a weekly setter award.
Keala posted 40-plus assists in all three matches that weekend, including a career-high 57 against No. 25 Texas A&M. She led the offense to back-to-back matches with a .300 or better attack percentage, including a season-high .379 against Iowa State and .303 versus Texas A&M. Keala tallied 154 assists and averaged 14 assists per set on the weekend.
8 STRAIGHT
The Hawkeyes won eight straight matches from Sept. 6-19 — the longest streak for the program since 2006. Iowa defeated American, 3-1, at the Hawaiian Airlines Wahine Volleyball Classic on Sept. 6. The following weekend (Sept. 11-12), the Hawkeyes went 3-0 at the Comfort Suites Challenge with wins over Milwaukee (3-0), Iowa State (3-1), and No. 25 Texas A&M (3-1). Iowa continued its streak on Sept. 18-19, sweeping the Holiday Inn Hawkeye Challenge tournament field with wins over Gardner-Webb (3-0), Coastal Carolina (3-0, 3-0) and Drake (3-0).
HAWKEYES DOWN CYCLONES IN HISTORIC FASHION
In front of the fifth-largest crowd in program history (2,488), the University of Iowa volleyball team trumped the Cyclones, 3-1, for the first time since Sept. 13, 1997. The Hawkeyes used a .379 attack percentage and a season-high 66 kills to defeat Iowa State in four sets. Sophomore Jess Janota paced the Hawkeye offense with a career-high 20 kills, while freshman Libby Koukol led the team with a career-high 18 digs.
DOWN GOES NO. 25
Iowa’s 3-1 victory over No. 25 Texas A&M on Sept. 12 marked the first ranked win for the Hawkeyes since defeating No. 12 Purdue, 3-1, on Nov. 8, 2014. Junior Loxley Keala led the Hawkeye offense with a career-high 57 assists, while junior Lauren Brobst paced the team in kills (17). Freshman Reagan Davey and senior Mikaela Gunderson each contributed four blocks.
BIG TEN NETWORK COVERAGE
The University of Iowa volleyball team competes live on the Big Ten Network (BTN) or BTN Plus 16 times this season. The Hawkeyes’ match against Wisconsin on Oct. 23 in Iowa City will be televised live on BTN. First serve is set for 7 p.m. (CT).
Fifteen Iowa matches will be shown via live stream online through BTN Plus. To see if your cable package gives you access to BTN Plus content, sign up for BTN Plus or learn more about it, visit btn2go.com.
UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes remain home next weekend, hosting Maryland on Oct. 30 and Rutgers on Oct. 31.
