Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | Hawk Talk Monthly — October | 24 Hawkeyes to Watch 2019-20 | Match Notes (PDF)
THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa volleyball team hosts Michigan and Michigan State this weekend. The Hawkeyes face the Wolverines Friday at 7 p.m. (CT) and wrap up the weekend against the Spartans on Sunday at 1 p.m. Friday night’s match is Iowa’s Pink Match.
HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG
- Live stats for each contest are linked on the team’s schedule page or on hawkeyesports.com/vblive.
- A live stream of this weekend’s matches are available on BTN+ or FloVolleyball (subscriptions required).
- Live audio of this weekend’s matches are available on Hawkeye All-Access ($) with John Evans on the call.
PROMOTIONS
- Friday’s match is Iowa’s pink match. The Hawkeyes will wear pink for breast cancer awareness.
- The first 1,000 fans to arrive for Friday’s match will receive a pink glowstick.
- Sunday is Sundaes on Sunday. Fans can purchase a Carver Cone for $1.
- Following the conclusion of each match, the Hawkeyes will sign autographs for fans on the court.
ORR REACHES 3,000 ASSISTS
- Junior Brie Orr reached 3,000 career assists against No. 5 Penn State on Oct. 5.
- Orr leads the Big Ten with 575 total assists this season.
- Orr has amassed 3,018 assists in her career to rank seventh in program history. She trails Barb Zvonek for sixth all-time.
- Orr’s 1,242 assists in 2018 are the second most in program history since the 25-point scoring format was implemented in 2008.
- Orr has played in every match of her career, averaging 10.30 assists per set.
INTERIM NO MORE
- Vicki Brown was named Iowa’s permanent head coach on Sept. 26, removing the interim tag she has had since May 20.
- Brown agreed to a five-year contract to remain in Iowa City through the 2024 season.
- Brown joined Iowa’s staff as associate head coach in 2017, taking charge of Iowa’s defensive and recruiting efforts.
- Brown helped Iowa bring in the nation’s 24th-ranked recruiting class for the 2019 season.
- Brown is the youngest coach in the Big Ten at 33 years old.
- The Toledo, Ohio, native graduated from Illinois in 2008 with a degree in communications.
B1G OPENER
- Iowa defeated Northwestern, 3-1, on Sept. 27 for its third-straight Big Ten opening victory. Iowa defeated Rutgers in 2017 and Michigan State in 2018.
- The Hawkeyes are now 16-27-2 all-time in Big Ten openers.
- Head coach Vicki Brown is the second coach in program history to win her first Big Ten opener, joining Sharon Dingman in 2008.
NEW LIBERO, NO PROBLEM
- Halle Johnston took over as Iowa’s libero entering her junior season.
- Johnston continues the trend of effective Iowa liberos with 4.56 digs/set to currently rank third in the Big Ten.
- Johnston is tied for second in the conference with 246 total digs.
- Johnston can become the third straight Iowa libero to lead the conference in total digs and digs per set (Olsen, 2017; Kelly, 2018).
- The Lakeville, Minn., native set a career-high 30 digs against Wyoming on Sept. 13. It is Iowa’s first 30+ dig performance since Nov. 23, 2018.
NEXT BUZZERIO UP
- Sophomore Courtney Buzzerio stepped up to provide much-needed offense with the absence of her sister, redshirt senior Meghan Buzzerio.
- Courtney Buzzerio has played in all 56 sets for the Hawkeyes this season, amassing 159 kills to rank second on the team.
- Courtney’s 19 service aces lead the team and is sixth in the Big Ten.
- In Big Ten play, Courtney leads the team with eight total blocks (4 BA, 4 BS).
HIT IT!
Iowa is in the top half of the Big Ten in hitting percentage.
The Hawkeyes rank fifth in the Big Ten with a .262 team attack percentage (758-258-1905).
OH SCHMIDT
- Freshman Edina Schmidt’s playtime has increased steadily over Iowa’s last six matches after making her debut in Iowa’s eighth match.
- Schmidt has averaged 23 total attempts per match in her last five matches.
- Schmidt tallied a career-high 14 kills against Minnesota on Oct. 2.
- The Berlin, Germany, native also added a career-high three service aces against Coastal Carolina on Sept. 20.
BOYER LEADING FRESHMEN PLAYING TIME
- Freshman Joslyn Boyer is leading Iowa freshmen in playing time this season.
- Boyer, a Downers Grove, Ill. native, has played in 45 sets this season with 61 digs.
- Boyer added a career-high eight digs against Lipscomb on Sept. 20.
HAWKEYES SWEEP NO. 22 WASHINGTON STATE
- Iowa defeated No. 22 Washington State on Aug. 31 for the team’s first win over a ranked opponent this season and second win overall.
- The victory was Iowa’s first win over a ranked opponent on the road since Oct. 12, 2012, when Iowa downed the Boilermakers in West Lafayette.
- Iowa held the edge in kills (46-28), blocks (6-5), assists (37-26), and digs (49-43).
- Senior Meghan Buzzerio and junior Griere Hughes led Iowa with 12 kills each.
- Junior Brie Orr added a match-high 32 assists.
- Junior Halle Johnston tallied 21 digs.
WE’RE THE CAPTAINS NOW
Heading into the 2019 season, Iowa has three team captains: seniors Emily Bushman and Meghan Buzzerio, and junior Brie Orr.
24TH-RANKED RECRUITING CLASS
- The Hawkeyes’ 2019 recruiting class was ranked 24th in the nation by FloVolleyball last spring.
- Iowa brought in eight new faces, including Joslyn Boyer, Emma Lowes, Kyndra Hansen, Blythe Rients, Emma Grunkemeyer, Grace Tubbs, Edina Schmidt, and Jaedynn Evans.
- Of Iowa’s eight newcomers, two are from Iowa (Evans, Tubbs), while Hansen and Rients are from Minnesota, Boyer is from Illinois, Grunkemeyer is from Nebraska, Lowes is from Texas, and Schmidt is from Germany.
FACING THE BEST
Iowa faces seven teams currently ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Week seven poll – Nebraska (5), Minnesota (6), Wisconsin (7), Penn State (8), Washington (11), Illinois (17), and Purdue (20).
In each of the last three years, the Big Ten has been represented by two teams in the NCAA Final Four.
14 of Iowa’s 31 matches are against ranked teams, 12 against teams inside the Big Ten.
Seven of Iowa’s final 10 matches this season are against teams ranked inside the top-25.
HOW’S THE WEATHER UP THERE?
- With the addition of eight freshman, the Hawkeyes got taller in the offseason.
- Of Iowa’s eight newcomers, four are 6-2 or taller, including Grace Tubbs (6-4), Emma Grunkemeyer (6-3), Blythe Rients (6-2), and Kyndra Hansen (6-2).
THE PREMIER CONFERENCE
- The Big Ten Conference has had an NCAA champion in nine of the last 15 years.
- Seven teams – Penn State, Michigan, Nebraska, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Purdue – appeared in the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
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.
SCOUTING MICHIGAN
- Michigan is 11-3 overall and 4-0 in Big Ten play.
- The Wolverines have swept their last four opponents and and in the midst of a three-game road trip.
- Michigan is atop the conference with a .289 team hitting percentage.
- Defensively, Michigan allows the least amount of kills per set by opponents this season at 10.86 kills per set.
- Iowa trails the all-time series 25-42
- Michigan is led by Mark Rosen, who is in his 20th season.
SCOUTING MICHIGAN STATE
- Michigan State is 11-3 overall and 2-2 in the Big Ten.
- The Spartans are coming off a five-set loss to Maryland on the road, but swept Ohio State in Columbus and Maryland in East Lansing.
- Michigan State is holding opponents to a .144 team hitting percentage this season – the best in the Big Ten and ninth-best in the nation.
- Michigan State leads the all-time series 26-49.
