24 Hawkeyes to Watch 2018-19 | Hawk Talk Monthly — September | Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store – https://hawkeyefanshop.com/?utm_source=HawkeyeSports&utm_medium=HawkeyeSports&utm_campaign=HawkeyeSports | Match Notes (PDF)
SERVE IT UP
The University of Iowa volleyball team goes on the road for the first time in the Big Ten season. The Hawkeyes face No. 7 Illinois on Friday at 7 p.m. (CT) inside Huff Hall and then head north for a matchup against Northwestern inside Evanston High School on Sunday. First serve is set for 1 p.m.
FOLLOW ALONG
- Live stats for each contest can be found on the Iowa volleyball schedule page at hawkeyesports.com/vblive.
- A live stream of both matches are available on FloVolleyball or BTN Plus (subscriptions required).
- Live audio of this weekend’s game are available on the team’s schedule page on hawkeyesports.com.
HAWKEYES SWEEP MICHIGAN STATE IN B1G OPENER
- The Hawkeyes opened the 2018 Big Ten schedule with a sweep over Michigan State on Sept. 21 in Iowa City.
- Iowa’s sweep over Michigan State was the team’s first win over the Spartans since 2009, when the Hawkeyes defeated #18 Michigan State in three sets.
- Junior Cali Hoye and senior Taylor Louis led Iowa with 10 kills each, while sophomore Brie Orr tallied a game-high 31 assists.
- Freshman Sarah Wing contributed five total blocks, including two solo blocks, in her first career start inside Carver-Hawkeye arena.
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.
BIG TEN LEADERS
- As a team, the Hawkeyes rank in the top four against Big Ten competition in three categories: blocks per set (1st, 3.57), assists per set (2nd, 13.86), and kills per set (4th, 14.00).
- In addition, Iowa’s five solo blocks also lead the conference after the first weekend of Big Ten play.
DIGGING FOR GOLD
- Senior Molly Kelly ranks among the best Liberos in the conference.
- After two Big Ten matches, Kelly ranks third with 5.43 digs per set.
- Her 29 digs against No. 18 Michigan on Sept. 23 set a new career high.
- Overall, Kelly’s 256 digs and 5.22 digs per set ranks second in the Big Ten.
- Nationally, Kelly is 30th in digs per set (5.18).
HERE COMES JONES
- Freshman Amiya Jones burst onto the scene after two dominant performances against Michigan State and No. 18 Michigan.
- In Big Ten play, Jones ranks second in the Big Ten with a .500 hitting percentage (17-3-28).
- Jones also ranks third in blocks per set with 1.57.
- Jones set a new career-high with eight blocks against No. 18 Michigan on Sept. 23.
CALI ON FIRE
- After two Big Ten matches, junior Cali Hoye has emerged as Iowa’s deadliest weapon.
- Hoye has helped an Iowa attack that ranks fourth in kills per set against conference opponents with 14.00.
- Individually, Hoye sits second in the conference with 4.57 kills per set against Big Ten foes.
- Against No. 18 Michigan on Sept. 23, Hoye racked up a game-high 22 kills and finished with a .224 hitting percentage.
ORR ROWING THE BOAT
- Sophomore setter Brie Orr leads Iowa with 512 assists through 13 matches and averages 10.45 assists per set, which is sixth in the Big Ten.
- Nationally, Orr leads a group that is 25th in the NCAA with 13.12 assists per set.
- Orr returns to Iowa as the team’s premier setter after recording 1,201 assists in 2017 – the second most assists in single-season program history since the 25-point scoring format was implemented in 2008.
- Orr ranks ninth all-time in career assists (1,713), trailing Jitka Stehnova (2,159) for eighth all-time.
FOLLOW THE LEADER
- Senior Taylor Louis continues to pace the country in active career kills. Louis’ 1,738 career kills leads the NCAA by 154 (Jaali Winters; Creighton) and is 169 kills ahead of the country’s third leading player (Carlisa May, Arkansas State).
- Louis ranks second in the Big Ten with 4.25 kills per set and is third in the Big Ten with 204 total kills.
- Louis’s 4.25 kills per set places her 30th in the NCAA and her 4.68 points per set is good for 38th.
IT’S STILL A HAWKEYE STATE
- The Hawkeyes broke a 21-year old road drought Sept. 14, defeating Iowa State in four sets (25-20, 25-21, 23-25, 25-20) at the Cyclone Classic in Ames, Iowa.
- It is the first time Iowa has won in Ames since Sept. 13, 1997.
THESE HAWKEYES ARE HANDY WITH BROOMS
- The Hawkeyes are 5-0 this season in games that have gone three sets.
- Iowa has swept Belmont, South Dakota State, Drake, Eastern Illinois, and Michigan State.
- Iowa recorded two sweeps at the Drake Invitational on Sept. 8, defeating South Dakota State and Drake before sweeping Eastern Illinois in its home opener on Sept. 9. The last time Iowa swept three different teams in the span of two days was Sept. 19-20, 2008 (Portland, DePaul, Tulsa).
SCOUTING #7 ILLINOIS
- Illinois enters the second weekend of Big Ten play with a perfect 13-0 overall record and 2-0 conference mark.
- Illinois ranks second in the Big Ten with 13.40 assists per set and third with 14.17 kills per set.
- Jordyn Poulter leads the conference with 11.48 assists per set and her 551 assists this season is also atop the Big Ten.
- Iowa is 14-57 all-time against the Illini.
- Iowa’s last win over Illinois was Oct. 29, 2016.
SCOUTING NORTHWESTERN
- Northwestern is 10-4 overall, 0-2 in the Big Ten, and sits 13th in the Big Ten standings.
- The Wildcats are led by Nia Robinson with 178 kills and 4.14 kills per set.
- Britt Bommer leads the team with 317 assists and has 8.13 assists per set.
- Defensively, Alana Walker has tallied 53 blocks this season and Michelle Lee leads the team with 178 digs.
- Iowa trails the all-time series 30-42-1.
- The Hawkeyes have won three straight matches over the Wildcats, including two sweeps.
SHYMANSKY APPROACHING WINS MILESTONES
- Head coach Bond Shymansky’s 73 wins at Iowa is third in program history. He passed former head coach Sharon Dingman earlier this season (66).
- Shymansky is tied with Rita Buck-Crockett for third on Iowa’s all-time Big Ten wins list with 25.
- Shymansky trails Linda Shoenstedt for second in Iowa history with 84 wins and trails Sandy Stewart’s 136 wins for most in program history.
FACING THE BEST
- Iowa faces eight teams currently ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) week 5 poll – Nebraska (3), Wisconsin (5), Minnesota (6), Illinois (7), Penn State (9), Washington (T13), Purdue (16), Michigan (17).
- The Hawkeyes’ schedule features 11 teams that reached the 2017 NCAA Tournament.
- The nonconference schedule included three teams that competed at the 2017 NCAA Tournament, including Iowa State, Colorado, and Washington.
- Iowa will play all eight Big Ten NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago. Those teams combined to go 206-64 in 2017.
TRUE MENTAL TOUGHNESS
The Hawkeyes continue their True Mental Toughness mantra in 2018. 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 nine of the last 14 years.
Eight teams – Penn State, Michigan, Nebraska, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Purdue, and Michigan State – appeared in the 2017 NCAA Tournament.
BIG TEN NETWORK
Iowa plays on the Big Ten Network twice in 2018. The Hawkeyes’ first game on the network is on Oct. 3 at Nebraska at 6 p.m. (CT). Northwestern will visit Iowa City on Oct. 24 for the second televised game of the season at 8 p.m.
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE
Season tickets and general admission tickets for Iowa’s home matches are on sale at the UI athletics ticket office and online at hawkeyesports.com/tickets. Season tickets for reserved seating is $45 and general admission season tickets are $30.
UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes head to Lincoln, Nebraska, on Oct. 3 for a midweek showdown against No. 3 Nebraska at 6 p.m. (CT). The match will be televised live on BTN. Live results of the game will also be available on hawkeyesports.com/vblive.
