24 Hawkeyes to Watch 2018-19 | Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | Hawk Talk Monthly — October 2018 | Match Notes (PDF)
SERVE IT UP
The University of Iowa volleyball team hosts Rutgers on Friday and No. 7 Penn State on Saturday. Both matches are slated for a 7 p.m. (CT) first serve inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
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 BTN2Go (subscription required).
PROMOTIONS
Saturday’s match will serve as family night. Fans may register for a family serving clinic before Iowa’s match against Penn State.
DIGGING IN
- Senior Molly Kelly ranks among the best liberos in the conference.
- Overall, Kelly’s 443 total digs rank first in the conference.
- Kelly ranks second in the Big Ten with 5.01 digs per set.
- Kelly’s 5.01 digs per set are the highest in program history since the 25-point scoring format was implemented in 2008.
- Her 29 digs against No. 18 Michigan on Sept. 23 set a new career high.
- Kelly ranks 19th in program history with a total of 949 digs.
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.
HOYE JOINS ELITE COMPANY
- Junior Cali Hoye recorded her second 30-kill performance against Northwestern on Oct. 24. The other was in a win over then-No.6 Wisconsin on Oct. 6
- Hoye reached the milestone thanks to a 13-kill second set, where she notched a .500 attack percentage (13-3-20).
- Hoye is the only player in the Big Ten this season to record a 30-kill game. The mark is the 17th highest kill mark in the NCAA this season.
- Hoye is one of five athletes in the country to record multiple 30+ kill performances.
ORR BREAKS 2,000 ASSISTS
- Sophomore setter Brie Orr became the ninth player in program history to eclipse 2,000 assists with her 19th assist in the third set on Oct. 21 against No. 9 Wisconsin.
- Overall, Orr’s 2,091 assists are ninth in program history. She leads Iowa with 890 assists through 23 matches.
- Orr averages 10.11 assists per set, which is seventh in the Big Ten.
- 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 (2,091), trailing Jitka Stehnova (2,159) for eighth all-time.
FOLLOW THE LEADER
- Senior Taylor Louis continues to lead the country in active career kills. Louis’ 1,859 career kills leads the NCAA by 126 (Carlisa May, Arkansas State) and is 138 kills ahead of the country’s third leading player (Jaali Winters; Creighton).
- Louis ranks fifth in the Big Ten with 325 kills and seventh with 3.74 kills per set.
- In her career, Louis has 1,859 total kills, with 711 kills coming in a Hawkeye uniform.
JONES’ STEADY PRESENCE IN THE MIDDLE
- Freshman Amiya Jones has proven to be a staple in the middle of Iowa’s lineup.
- Jones is the only freshman to have started in all 23 matches for the Hawkeyes this season.
- Jones holds a .301 hitting percentage with 113 kills and 75 total blocks through her first season at Iowa.
GOING THE DISTANCE
- In 2018, Iowa has played six matches that have lasted five sets, going 3-3 with wins over Northwestern, Wisconsin, and Syracuse, and dropping 3-2 losses to Lipscomb, Purdue, and Northwestern.
- The Hawkeyes have played in a fifth set in four of their last nine matches.
- In Iowa’s six five-set matches, the team first to score eight points has won each match.
- Iowa’s 88 total sets played are the second most in the Big Ten this year.
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.
HAWKEYES TAKE DOWN NO. 6 WISCONSIN
- The Hawkeyes defeated No. 6 Wisconsin in five sets on Oct. 6 for the team’s first win over a ranked opponent this season.
- It is Iowa’s first win over Wisconsin since Nov. 11, 2009.
- Junior Cali Hoye led Iowa with a career-high 30 kills and sophomore Brie Orr tied a career-high with 59 assists.
THESE HAWKEYES ARE HANDY WITH BROOMS
- The Hawkeyes are 6-4 this season in games that have gone three sets.
- Iowa has swept Belmont, South Dakota State, Drake, Eastern Illinois, Michigan State, and Rutgers.
- 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 RUTGERS
- Rutgers enters the weekend 6-19 overall and 0-12 in conference play.
- Rutgers ranks atop the Big Ten with 434 total blocks and third in conference with 2.70 blocks per set.
- Rutgers’ best offensive weapon, Sahbria McLetchie, is 14th in the Big Ten with 3.05 kills per set
- Iowa defeated Rutgers in their first meeting of the season on Oct. 10, 3-0.
- Overall, Iowa is 7-0 against the Scarlet Knights.
SCOUTING PENN STATE
- Penn State visits Iowa City as the No. 7-ranked team in the nation and has an 18-4 record (9-3 Big Ten).
- Penn State leads the Big Ten with 2.94 blocks per set.
- Kaitlyn Hord leads Penn State on offense, hitting an efficient .396 this season.
- Iowa trails the all-time series 0-52.
SHYMANSKY MILESTONE WATCH
- Head coach Bond Shymansky’s 75 wins at Iowa is third in program history. He passed former head coach Sharon Dingman earlier this season (66).
- Shymansky passed Rita Buck-Crockett for third on Iowa’s all-time Big Ten wins list with his 26th victory over Northwestern on Sept. 30.
- Shymansky trails Linda Shoenstedt for second in Iowa history with 85 wins and trails Sandy Stewart’s 136 wins for most in program history.
FACING THE BEST
- Iowa faces seven teams currently ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) week 10 poll – Minnesota (3), Illinois (4), Wisconsin (5), Penn State (7), Nebraska (8), Michigan (13) and Purdue (14).
- 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 will play on the Big Ten Network for a third time this season. Iowa’s match against Nebraska on Nov. 7 will air live on the Big Ten Network.
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 host their third straight home match on Wednesday, Nov. 7 against Nebraska. The game will air live on the Big Ten Network. Tickets are still available at hawkeyesports.com/tickets.
