Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | Hawk Talk Monthly — June | 24 Hawkeyes to Watch 2018-19
By ASHLYNN BAUER
hawkeyesports.com
IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa volleyball players, Meghan and Courtney Buzzerio share more than just volleyball. The two Hawkeyes are sisters.
Meghan, the oldest, transferred to Iowa after she redshirted at the University of Arizona. When her sister, Courtney, was looking for schools, she decided to join her sister and the Hawkeye family this fall.
“She was a part of my decision,” Courtney said. “We are close as a team, but just having someone closer helps with the stresses of school and volleyball.”
This isn’t the first time that Iowa head coach Bond Shymansky has had sisters on his team. Having the “Buzz sisters” is his second set of sisters, but his first set at Iowa.
“It is a unique dynamic,” Shymansky said. “You have to get them and the team to understand that we all still communicate the same way even though they have been communicating in unique ways their whole life. They are both secretly competitive and they have a deep internal competitive drive.”
That deep internal drive is something that comes natural, being that their parents were both collegiate athletes. Buzzerio’s mom played volleyball at UC Irvine, while their father played water polo at Cal State University-Los Angeles.
When it comes to being the most competitive in the family Meghan says she believes it would be her or her younger sister, Paige.
“The baby is the most stubborn, but I feel like I am the older one with the athletic background so I should win everything,” said Meghan.
Although they both share being competitive amongst other things, they also have their differences.
“They are both quiet and nice, but one is taller than the other.” Shymansky said “It’s cool to see the similarities but also to recognize that they are two very different people.”
They also play two different positions that coincide. Meghan is an outside hitter and Courtney is a setter. It is a special kind of relationship on any volleyball team between the hitter and the setter, but being sisters adds a special dynamic.
“There’s a natural playing connection that happens on the court,” said Shymansky. “Meghan is passing the ball to Courtney, and then Courtney is setting the ball to Meghan. There’s a lot of actual rhythm that happens between the two of them. They do have a great way of being able to use mental telepathy to let each other know what needs to happen next.”
That telepathy didn’t just happen overnight either.
“As little kids we would play in our back yard and pepper with each other,” Meghan said. “We only played one year in high school together.”
This new journey of playing together on the same team is going to help the Hawkeyes to their postseason goal of making the NCAA Tournament.
“I know they both want each other to succeed,” Shymanksy said, “But I know they both want to do it on their own accord. We are trying to support that mission with each of them.”
The Hawkeyes host the Black & Gold Scrimmage on Saturday at 11 a.m. (CT) inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Admission is free. Season tickets are still available for the season at hawkeyesports.com/tickets or over the phone at 800-IA-HAWKS.
