Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | 24 Hawkeyes to Watch 2019-20 | Hawk Talk Monthly – November | Match Notes (PDF)
THIS WEEK
The University of Iowa volleyball team closes the 2019 regular season against Ohio State and Maryland this weekend. Iowa squares off against Ohio State on Friday and Maryland on Saturday. Both matches are scheduled for a 7 p.m. (CT) first serve.
HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG
- Live stats for each contest are linked on the team’s schedule page or on hawkeyesports.com/vblive.
- Live audio of this weekend’s matches are available on Hawkeye All-Access with John Evans on the call.
- A live stream of this weekend’s matches are available on BTN+ or FloVolleyball (subscriptions required).
PROMOTIONS
- Friday’s match will be the final Friday 4 Pack of the season. Fans must purchase tickets prior to the day of the match.
- Saturday’s match is senior night. Seniors Meghan Buzzerio and Emily Bushman will be honored before the match.
THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED
- The Hawkeyes have had the nation’s third toughest schedule according to NCAA.org.
- Iowa opponents have a combined .644 winning percentage and 498 combined wins with 275 losses.
- Southern California and Wisconsin are the only other teams with tougher schedules.
BUZZERIO ACEING HER WAY INTO THE RECORD BOOK
- Sophomore Courtney Buzzerio’s effort at the service line is one of the best in recent memory
- Buzzerio leads the Hawkeyes with 32 aces on the season.
- Buzzerio’s 32 aces are tied for the most in a season for Iowa since Ashley Mariani’s had 32 in 2015.
- The Chino Hills, California, native’s 0.30 aces per set is the most since 2010 when Becky Walters averaged 0.39 aces per set.
TRIPLE DOUBLED
- Sophomore Courtney Buzzerio became the first Hawkeye in 14 years to record a triple double in Iowa’s match at No. 6 Nebraska on Nov. 16.
- Buzzerio recorded a team-high 18 kills, 20 assists, and 10 digs through five sets.
- Buzzerio joins Kiley Fister (2005) and Fabiana De Abreu (2000) as the only Hawkeyes to accomplish the feat in the last 20 years.
HAWKEYES GO THE DISTANCE WITH THE HUSKERS
- Iowa took No. 6 Nebraska to the brink of defeat on Nov. 16 inside the Devaney Center.
- The Hawkeyes took the second set, 25-23, and the third set, 27-25, marking the first time Iowa has ever taken two sets off the Huskers.
- Iowa took the third set over Nebraska in 1987 and the second set in 2018 for Iowa’s only other set wins.
HAWKEYES SET PROGRAM ATTENDANCE RECORD
- The Hawkeyes set a new program attendance record against Nebraska on Nov. 9.
- 4,737 fans watched the Hawkeyes take on the Huskers, besting the previous record by eight set on Oct. 7, 2017.
- The record is Iowa’s third attendance record in the last four years.
- Iowa’s top five most attended matches in program history have all come in the last four years.
ACED IT
- Sophomore middle blocker Amiya Jones enjoyed a career day against the Hoosiers on Oct. 26.
- Jones recorded a career-high seven aces, including three consecutive, and a career-high 15 kills in Iowa’s five-set victory.
- The Indianapolis, native is tied for first in the Big Ten for the most aces in a single match this season. Her effort is tied seventh in the NCAA in a five set match.
RIENTS’ BLOCK PARTY
- Freshman Blythe Rients’ 11 total blocks (10 BA, 1 BS) against Indiana on Oct. 20 ties her for sixth in Iowa single-match history.
- The Eagan, Minnesota, native’s 11 blocks are tied for the most in the Big Ten this season and most among Big Ten players in a four set match.
- Nationally, Rients joins nine other players who have reached 11 total blocks in a match.
- Rients’ 11 blocks are the most by a Hawkeyes since Sept. 2, 2011.
- In her 42 set played this season, Rients has 33 total blocks.
HOOSIER SWEEP
- The Hawkeyes defeated Indiana, 3-2, on Oct. 26 to complete a season sweep of the Hoosiers for Iowa’s second season sweep in three seasons.
- Iowa came back in the fifth set after trailing 12-14 thanks to a kill from freshman Kyndra Hansen and ace by junior Halle Johnston to tie the score at 14. Sophomore Amiya Jones gave Iowa the lead on a cross-court kill and a Hoosier net violation awarded the Hawkeyes the victory.
- Freshman Joslyn Boyer notched a career-high 14 digs.
- Sophomore Amiya Jones tallied a career-hig seven aces and 15 kills.
- Sophomore Courtney Buzzerio registered a career-high 51 assists.
- Sophomore Hannah Clayton added a season-high seven blocks.
- The win was Iowa’s first five-set win of the year.
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 96 sets this season with 154 digs.
- Boyer added a career-high 14 digs at Indiana on Oct. 26.
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.
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 4.61 digs/set to currently rank second in the Big Ten.
- Johnston is second in the conference with 484 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).
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.
FACING THE BEST
- Iowa faces nine teams currently ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Week 14 coaches poll – Wisconsin (5), Nebraska (6), Penn State (7), Minnesota (8), Washington (9), Purdue (16), Michigan (22), Illinois (24), and Washington State (25).
- 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.
- Two of Iowa’s final four matches this season are against teams ranked inside the top-25.
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 OHIO STATE
- Ohio State is 14-16 overall and 7-11 in the Big Ten.
- The Buckeyes have lost four of their last five.
- Ohio State ranks second in the Big Ten with 15.69 digs per set.
- Iowa fell to Ohio State on Oct. 16 in Columbus
- Ohio State is coached by Geoff Carlston, who is in his 12th season.
SCOUTING MARYLAND
- Maryland is 13-17 overall and 5-13 in conference play.
- The Terrapins are on a three-game skid with losses to Purdue, Illinois, and Northwestern.
- Katie Myers ranks third in the conference with a .412 hitting percentage.
- Maryland is coached by Adam Hughes, who is in his second season.
