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SERVE IT UP
The University of Iowa volleyball team returns to Carver-Hawkeye Arena when it hosts the 2016 Iowa Invitational this weekend. The Hawkeyes host Lamar and South Dakota in the two-day tournament at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Admission is $6 on Friday and free with an Iowa/NDSU football ticket on Saturday.
WATCH/LISTEN/FOLLOW ALONG
- Both of Iowa’s matches will be live streamed on Hawkeye All-Access at hawkeyesports.com. Kelly Neff and Erin Radke will have the call from Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
- Live stats are available for each contest 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.
PROMOTIONS
Friday is Heroes Night. The Hawkeyes will honor several Wounded Warriors during intermission. Friday is also Camper Reunion Night. University of Iowa volleyball campers receive free admission to the match.
The Iowa volleyball program will honor its alumni on Saturday. Fans who present their Iowa/North Dakota State football ticket will receive free admission.
SCOUTING LAMAR
- Lamar enters Friday’s match with an 0-9 record.
- Senior Chelsea Grant leads the Cardinals with 120 kills and a 3.64 kills per set average on the season.
- The all-time series is tied at one game apiece. The teams last met on Sept. 11, 2004. The Hawkeyes won in three, 32-30, 30-22, and 30-21.
SCOUTING SOUTH DAKOTA
- South Dakota brings a 9-1 record into the Iowa Invitational this weekend.
- Senior Audrey Reeg leads the team with 134 kills and a 3.72 kills per set average.
- Junior Brittany Jessen has dished out 383 assists on the season. Jessen was named the Summit League’s volleyball offensive player of the week for her performance at the Pacific Community Classic last weekend. She registered a triple-double with 40 assists, 10 kills, and 10 digs against tournament host, Pacific, to clinch the team tournament title for the Coyotes.
- Saturday marks the first meeting between the Hawkeyes and Coyotes.
ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS – CYCLONE INVITATIONAL
Junior Jess Janota and sophomore Reghan Coyle were named to the 2016 Cyclone Invitational all-tournament team last weekend. Janota hit .559 on the weekend with 21 kills in 34 attempts with just two errors. The Concord, Ohio, native also registered 11 digs and four blocks. Coyle hit .333 with 18 kills in 36 attempts. She paced the team with six blocks in the tournament.
BROBST ON THE OUTSIDE
- Senior Lauren Brobst has hit .300 or better in 9-of-10 matches this season, including a season-best .565 against DePaul on Aug. 27.
- Brobst ranks seventh in the Big Ten and 67th in the nation in attack percentage.
- Her kills-per-set average of 3.62 ranks ninth in the conference.
COYLE HEATS UP
- Sophomore Reghan Coyle ranks third in the conference with a .391 hitting percentage.
- Coyle’s hitting percentage (.391) ranks 40th nationally.
- In 10 games this season, Coyle has already surpassed her kills total from last season. The Council Bluffs, Iowa, native has registered 71 kills this season after recording 68 in 23 matches last season.
- Coyle has been named to two all-tournament teams this season (Hawkeye Classic and Cyclone Invitational).
KEALA THE QUARTERBACK
- Senior setter Loxley Keala is averaging 11.31 assists per set — a mark that ranks fifth in the Big Ten and 16th nationally.
- Keala ranks second in the Big Ten Conference and 24th in the nation in total assists (362).
- The Kaneohe, Hawaii, native posted a season-high 47 assists in Iowa’s 3-0 win over Arizona State on Sept. 2.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
- Iowa ranks third in the conference in team kills (452), team digs (461), and hitting percentage (.296).
- The Hawkeyes are ranked fourth in assists per set (13.28) and digs per set (14.41) average.
- Iowa has registered 45 service aces this year — the fifth most in the conference.
IN THE NATION
- Iowa’s .296 hitting percentage is the 14th-highest mark in the nation.
- The Hawkeyes rank 22nd nationally with 13.28 assists per set.
- Iowa’s 14.13 kills per set average ranks 29th nationally.
A TOTAL TEAM EFFORT
All 16 Hawkeyes saw game action against Montana on Sept. 10. Iowa spread out 39 kills to 10 different attackers. Redshirt sophomore Kasey Reuter led the team with nine, while junior Jess Janota added six and redshirt sophomore Taylin Alm and freshman Cali Hoye registered five kills apiece. Senior setter Loxley Keala dished out 28 assists in the contest.
REUTER SERVES THE ACE
Kasey Reuter served up a 9-0 run in the second set against Montana on Sept. 10. The redshirt sophomore served four aces to aid the rally and help the Hawkeyes to a 3-0 sweep over the Grizzlies.
BACK-TO-BACK TOURNAMENT CHAMPS
The Hawkeyes registered back-to-back tournament championships to begin the 2016 season. Iowa won the NIU Invitational with wins over Loyola (Chicago), DePaul, and NIU from Aug. 27-28, and defeated Western Illinois, Arizona State, and Oakland to take the Hawkeye Classic Championship from Sept. 2-3.
ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS – HAWKEYE CLASSIC
Senior Lauren Brobst was named the Hawkeye Classic’s most valuable player — her second MVP honor of the season. Junior Jess Janota and sophomore Reghan Coyle were both named to the all-tournament team. Brobst led the Hawkeyes with 45 kills and a .360 attack percentage on the weekend. Coyle hit a team-high .387 in four matches, registering 33 kills in 62 attempts, and Janota recorded 28 kills and eight blocks.
ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS – NIU INVITATIONAL
Senior Lauren Brobst was named the NIU Invitational’ s most valuable player, and redshirt freshman Meghan Buzzerio and junior Annika Olsen were both named to the all-tournament team. Brobst finished the weekend with 38 kills and a .471 attack percentage. Buzzerio added 32 kills and 21 digs in her first three matches in a Hawkeye uniform, while Olsen paced the team with 46 digs.
KLOSTERMANN SURPASSES 1,000
Alyssa Klostermann surpassed 1,000 career assists on Aug. 27 against DePaul. The senior’s 1,001 career assists ranks 11th on Iowa’s all-time list. Janet Moylan (1987-90) holds the school record with 5,471 career assists.
TRUE MENTAL TOUGHNESS
The Hawkeyes have been focused on one mantra since the beginning of the season: True Mental Toughness. Bond Shymansky’s squad defines true mental toughness as having a great attitude, treating others really, really well, being unconditionally grateful regardless of your circumstances, and giving your very, very best.
THE PREMIER CONFERENCE
The Big Ten Conference has had an NCAA Champion in eight of the last 12 years. Nine teams — Michigan State, Ohio State, Nebraska, Minnesota, Illinois, Penn State, Wisconsin, Michigan and Purdue — appeared in the 2015 NCAA Tournament with Nebraska winning their fourth national title. The title marked the third straight for the Big Ten Conference.
NATIONALLY SPEAKING
Nine Big Ten teams appeared in the AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 Poll, released Sept. 12. Defending National Champion Nebraska holds the top spot followed by No. 3 Minnesota, No. 6 Wisconsin, No. 14 Purdue, No. 19 Ohio State, No. 20 Penn State, No. 22 Michigan State, and No. 23 Michigan. Illinois is receiving votes in the poll.
EUROPEAN TOUR
From May 24-June 6 the Hawkeyes traveled to four different countries as part of the program’s first European Tour. With stops in Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, and Ireland, the Hawkeyes squared off with professional and junior national teams to improve their game and bond as a unit.
NEW FACES
- The 2016 roster features five newcomers, including two with collegiate experience.
- Redshirt sophomore Kasey Reuter (OH) transferred from Missouri and joined the Hawkeyes last spring. The Sioux City, Iowa, native appeared in 31 matches with 12 starts as an outside hitter for the Tigers in 2014 before redshirting in 2015.
- Redshirt freshman Meghan Buzzerio (OH/RS) transferred from Arizona to join the Hawkeyes this fall. The Chino Hills, California, native went to Arizona ranked 96th nationally on PrepVolleyball.com’s Senior Aces list.
- The Hawkeyes also welcome three incoming freshman including defensive specialists Alexa Ito and Emily Bushman and outside hitter Cali Hoye.
ATTENDANCE RECORDS/SEASON TICKET SALES
- Iowa set two top-10 attendance marks in 2015. 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.
- Iowa has sold more tickets in 2016 than it has in each of its previous seasons dating back to 2010.
- In four home matches this season, the Hawkeyes rank 17th nationally in average attendance (1,679).
IOWA TIES
Head coach Bond Shymansky and six student-athletes — Lauren Brobst, Reghan Coyle, Alexa Ito, Molly Kelly, Alyssa Klostermann, and Kasey Reuter — were born and raised in the state of Iowa. Shymansky, an Iowa City native, earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Iowa. He played men’s volleyball for the UI club team as a student.
IOWA ON BTN
The Hawkeyes compete live on the Big Ten Network (BTN) or BTN Plus 20 times this season. Iowa’s matches at Michigan State on Sept. 23 and verses Minnesota on Oct. 21 will be televised live on BTN. Eighteen 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 at visit btn2go.com.
ON DECK
The Hawkeyes open Big Ten play next weekend, traveling to Michigan State on Friday, Sept. 23 and Michigan on Saturday, Sept. 24.
