THIS WEEK
The Hawkeyes travel to the Mile High Invitational taking on Incarnate Word and Air Force on Friday at Noon (CT,) and 7 p.m. (CT) respectively, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Iowa takes on Denver on Saturday at 7 p.m. (CT).
HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG
- Live stats for each contest are available can be found on the team’s schedule page at hawkeyesports.com.
- Live streams for these matches are available and can be found on the team’s schedule page.
SCOUTING INCARNATE WOOD
- Head coach Samantha Dabbs Thomas is in her fourth year.
- Incarnate Wood is currently 5-4, their losses coming to Abilene Christian, St. Thomas, UTSA and UTRGU.
- Kill leader is senior OH Bethany Clapp with 229, Clapp also leads in both service aces with 17, and digs with 156.
- Junior setter Natalie Martin is their assist leader with 304.
SCOUTING AIR FORCE
- Caroline Reinksmeyer leads the team in assists with 137.
- Coach Keith Barnett is entering his third season.
- Megan Wielonski leads the squad in assists with 264.
- The Falcons have already played Denver in a previous tournament, falling, 3-1.
SCOUTING DENVER
- Head coach Tom Hogan is now in his sixth season at DU, with a record of 110-30.
- Denver is 7-1, with its only loss coming to Northern Colorado.
- Graduate student OH Lydia Bartalo leads the team with 81 kills.
- Libero/DS Gianna Bartalo leads the team in digs with 93.
LEADING THE WAY
- Senior Courtney Buzzerio leads the squad with 130 kills, 4.64 kills per set, and 328 attacks.
- Senior Maddie Slagle leads the team with 86 digs.
- Sophomore Bailey Ortega has amassed a team best 264 assists and 9.43 assists per set.
- Senior Hannah Clayton leads the team in blocks with 21.
ALL THE BUZZ
- Buzzerio ranks 17th in the nation, averaging 4.64 kills per set.
- She ranks second in the Big Ten in kills per set.
- Buzzerio ranks second in the Big Ten in points per set (4.84).
- Buzzerio ranks first in the Big Ten with 130 kills.
- Buzzerio’s outstanding play last season earned her an AVCA All-North Region Honorable Mention selection and first-team All-Big Ten honors, becoming the first Hawkeye to earn those postseason honors since Sara Meyermann in 2001. She is only the fifth All-Region selection in program history and eighth first-team all-conference honoree.
- She claimed her third career triple-double (13 kills, 21 assists, 11 digs) in Iowa’s five-set match against Indiana on Feb. 6, becoming the only individual in the Big Ten and one of 23 nationally to record a triple-double last season. She is the only Hawkeye in program history to register multiple triple-doubles in a career.
- Buzzerio’s first career triple-double was against Nebraska (Nov. 16, 2019), with her second coming two weeks later against Ohio State (Nov. 29, 2019). There have only been five triple-doubles in the last 20 years at Iowa. Kiley Fister (2005) and Fabiana De Abreu (2000) are the other two Hawkeyes to complete the feat.
CY-HAWK VICTORY
- The Hawkeyes put together an impressive three sets to defeat in-state rival Iowa State in straight sets.
- Iowa recorded a season high attacking percentage of .286.
- The Hawkeyes held Iowa State to 36 kills and 33 digs.
FRESHMAN FOCUS
- Freshman Addie VanderWeide has made four consecutive starts for the Hawkeyes and recorded double-digit kills in each match she has started.
- VanderWeide recorded a career-high .471 hitting percentage against No. 11 Washington and career high and team leading 23 digs against Ball State.
- Freshman Toyosi Onabanjo made her first two starts in the Cy-Hawk Series Tournament.
- Onabanjo recorded five kills and four blocks in both matches.
CAREER DAY
- Multiple Hawkeyes set career highs against Duke to open the season.
- Buzzerio recorded a career-high 28 kills against the Blue Devils, tied for 13th most in a single game in school history. The last Hawkeye to record at least 25 kills was her sister Meghan Buzzerio in 2019.
- Sophomore Bailey Ortega recorded a career-high 45 assists. She surpassed that against Ball State recording 49 assists.
- Three Hawkeyes recorded a career high in digs. Mari Hinkle (11), Bailey Ortega (15), and Maddie Slagle (22).
RECORD BOOK UPDATE
- Jones ranks second all-time in school history with a. 292 hit-ting percentage, while Clayton ranks fifth with a .279 hitting percentage.
- Clayton currently ranks 17th all-time in program history with 260 career blocks. She is two blocks away from tying Jennifer Bell for 16th.
BEST CONFERENCE IN THE NATION
- Six Big Ten teams are ranked in the top 25 of the AVCA Coaches Poll: No. 2 Wisconsin, No. 3 Ohio State, No. 6 Nebraska, No. 9 Purdue, No. 11 Minnesota, and No. 20 Penn State.
- The Big Ten Conference has crowned an NCAA Champion in nine of the last 15 years and at least one Big Ten team has advanced to the Final Four in six straight seasons.
PLAYING THE BEST
- The Hawkeyes have played the second toughest schedule, according to past opposition win percentage.
- Iowa’s opponents have combined for a 40-9 record and a 0.816 win percentage.
20 KILLS
- Buzzerio has recorded 20 kills in two matches this season. (Duke and Ball State).
- She has recorded double digit kills in all seven games the Hawkeyes have played.
XTREAM DIGS
- The Hawkeyes finally welcomed fans to Xtream Arena for the first time as they faced Syracuse in the Cy-Hawk Series Tournament on Sept. 9, 2021.
- The Hawkeyes play 10 more home games at Xtream Arena this season.
