Nov. 13, 2015
- Read the November issue of Hawk Talk Monthly
- Download your Hawk Talk Monthly iOS app
- Download your Hawk Talk Monthly android app
- 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 travels to Madison, Wisconsin, for a contest against the Badgers on Saturday, Nov. 14. First serve is set for 7 p.m. (CT) at the Wisconsin Field House.
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WATCH
Saturday’s contest 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
Live audio is available on Hawkeye All-Access at hawkeyesports.com. Second-year play-by-play announcer Tim Keating will call the action. Live stats are also available on the volleyball schedule page on 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.
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 will receive free admission to the match as well as a link to purchase tickets for the Iowa football game against Purdue on Nov. 21 (Kickoff TBA). To receive more information and to RSVP, contact Bre Payton at breann-payton@iowavolleyball.com.
ALL-TIME SERIES – WISCONSIN
• Wisconsin leads Iowa 51-20-1, 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.
• The Badgers defeated the Hawkeyes in straight sets (22-25, 22-25, 18-25) on Oct. 23 in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
According to the NCAA, the Hawkeyes have the sixth-strongest strength of schedule in Division I Volleyball — the third highest ranking among Big Ten opponents. Northwestern (3rd), Wisconsin (5th), Minnesota (7th), Ohio State (9th), and Illinois (14th) also made the top 15.
KEALA MAKES HISTORY
Loxley Keala recorded her 1,000th assist against Purdue on Nov. 7. The junior’s 1,052 assists rank 10th on Iowa’s all-time career assists list. Janet Moylan (1987-90) holds the school record with 5,471 career assists. Keala has started every match and every set as Iowa’s setter this season. The Kaneohe, Hawaii, native has registered 50 or more assists seven times this season, including a career-high 64 against Michigan on Oct. 7.
A POWERHOUSE CONFERENCE
Eight Big Ten teams are included in the AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 Poll, released on Nov. 9. No. 1 Penn State, No. 4 Minnesota, and No. 8 Nebraska appear in the to 10, while No. 11 Wisconsin, No. 14 Ohio State, No. 16 Illinois, and No. 17 Purdue also made the list. Michigan (46) is receiving votes in the poll.
NATIONAL RANKINGS
Eleven of Iowa’s 2015 opponents appear in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top 25 Poll, released on Nov. 9. No. 1 Penn State, No. 4 Minnesota, No. 7 Hawaii, No. 8 Nebraska, No. 9 UCLA, No. 11 Wisconsin, No. 14 Ohio State, No. 16 Illinois, and No. 17 Purdue are ranked within the top 25, while Texas A&M (62) and Michigan (46) are receiving votes.
STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE MONTH
Sophomore Annika Olsen along with Desmond King (football) and Madison Waymire (cross country) were named October student-athletes of the month Monday. The award honors University of Iowa student-athletes who display excellence in athletics, academics, and community service, as voted on by their peers. Olsen led the team with a 5.23 digs per set average during the month of October. The Johns Creek, Georgia, native currently leads the Big Ten with 4.94 digs per set in conference matches. She reached double digits in all 10 October matches, including a career-high 26 in Iowa’s win over Rutgers on Oct. 31.
QUICK HITTERS
• Loxley Keala registered her fourth double-double of the season against Purdue on Nov. 7. The junior registered 55 assists and 12 digs in the contest. Keala has also recorded double-doubles against Maryland (50 assists, 13 digs), Hawaii (26 assists, 13 digs), and American (46 assists, 13 digs).
• Senior Mikaela Gunderson leads the team with a .338 attack percentage this season.
• Junior Alyssa Klostermann has 994 career assists — six assists away from 1,000.
• Reghan Coyle registered career highs in kills (7) and digs (8) against Penn State on Nov. 11. The freshman has started the last three matches for the Hawkeyes.
IN THE BIG TEN – TEAM RANKINGS
• Iowa ranks second in the Big Ten conference in team assists with 1,243.
• The Hawkeyes have tallied 1,305 kills this season, the fourth most in the Big Ten.
• Iowa has registered 121 aces on the season, the third highest total in the Big Ten.
• The Hawkeyes rank third in the Big Ten with a 1.23 aces per set average.
• Iowa ranks fourth in the Big Ten with1,426 team digs.
IN THE BIG TEN – INDIVIDUAL RANKINGS
• Sophomore Annika Olsen leads the Big Ten in total digs (473) and digs per set average (4.83).
• Junior Loxley Keala leads the conference in total assists (1,085).
• Keala has the fifth-best assist per set average in the Big Ten (11.07).
• Senior Mikaela Gunderson owns the eighth-highest hitting percentage in the conference (.338).
NATIONALLY SPEAKING
• Junior Loxley Keala‘s 11.08 assists per set average ranks 28th nationally.
• Keala is ranked 37th nationally in total assists (1,052).
• Sophomore Annika Olsen ranks 47th in digs per set average (4.84).
FRESHMEN MAKE AN IMPACT
• Freshman Molly Kelly is currently ranked sixth among league freshmen in service aces per set average (0.23). Kelly has 22 service aces this season. She has registered three aces in a single match three times (Pacific, NIU, Wisconsin).
• Freshman Reagan Davey is fourth among conference freshmen in kills per set average (2.43).
• Freshman Libby Koukol is eighth among Big Ten freshmen in digs per set average (2.13).
SERVE IT UP
The Hawkeyes registered a season-high 11 service aces against Indiana on Nov. 4, marking the most aces in a three-set conference match this season. Junior Loxley Keala registered four — a new career high — while junior Ashley Mariani added three. Freshmen Libby Koukol, Reghan Coyle, and Molly Kelly, and junior Alyssa Klostermann also recorded aces in the contest.
BACK-TO-BACK
The Hawkeyes recorded back-to-back wins against Rutgers (Oct. 31) and Indiana (Nov. 4). Iowa recorded its first Big Ten win of the season, defeating Rutgers in straight sets (25-20, 25-19, 25-20) in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes extended the streak with a 3-0 sweep at Indiana (25-19, 25-21, 25-20). The victory marked the first true road win for the Hawkeyes this season.
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.
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.
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.
UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes return to Carver-Hawkeye Arena next week for their final two home matches of the season. Iowa hosts Ohio State on Wednesday, Nov. 18, before taking on Northwestern on Saturday, Nov. 21.
