Match Notes: Indiana and Wisconsin

THIS WEEK

Iowa hosts Indiana on Friday at 7 p.m. (CT) at Xtream Arena. The Hawkeyes then entertain No. 4 Wisconsin Saturday at 7 p.m. (CT) in Coralville. Tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for youth (ages 6-18), and 5-and-under are free.

HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG

  • Both matches will be streamed live on B1G+ (subscription required).
  • Live stats for each contest can be found on the team’s schedule page at hawkeyesports.com.
  • John Evans will have the radio call, which can be found on the Hawkeye Radio Network YouTube page.

SCOUTING Indiana

  • Head coach Steve Aird is in his fourth year as head coach.
  • The Hoosiers are 9-15 overall and 3-9 in conference play.
  • Indiana ranks first in the Big Ten for team total attacks (3,130).
  • Paula Cerame ranks second in the Big Ten for total digs and 61st in the nation (386).
  • The Hoosiers average 12 kills per set and have an overall hitting percentage of .186.

SCOUTING Wisconsin

  • The Badgers are currently 18-2 overall and 10-2 in Big Ten play.
  • Head coach Kelly Sheffield is in his eighth season.
  • Wisconsin’s only losses have come to Maryland and Purdue.
  • Graduate setter Sydney Hilley ranks first in the country and in the Big Ten in assists per set.
  • Graduate middle blocker Dana Rettke is first in conference and second nationally in hitting percentage.

LEADING THE WAY

  • Senior Courtney Buzzerio leads the squad with 314 kills, 3.975 kills per set, and 813 attacks.
  • Junior libero Mari Hinkle leads the team with 222 digs.
  • Sophomore Bailey Ortega has amassed a team-best 602 assists and 7.62 assists per set.
  • Senior Hannah Clayton has recorded a team-best 57 blocks.

Balanced attack

  • In Iowa’s, 3-1, victory over Michigan State four Hawkeyes had at least nine kills.
  • Iowa’s kill leaders include Buzzerio (314), VanderWeide (164), Clayton (150), and Jones (125).

ALL THE BUZZ

  • Buzzerio ranks 52nd in the nation, averaging 3.97 kills per set.
  • She ranks thirdin the Big Ten in kills per set.
  • Buzzerio ranks sixth in the Big Ten in points per set (4.47).
  • 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 on Sept. 11.
  • Iowa recorded a then-season high attacking percentage of .286.
  • The Hawkeyes held Iowa State to 36 kills and 33 digs.

FRESHMEN FOCUS

  • Freshman Addie VanderWeide has made 17 consecutive starts and recorded eight double-digit kill matches.
  • 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.
  • Freshman Jenna Splitt made her first two appearances against Illinois and Nebraska. She had 36 assists across both matches.
  • Splitt made her first career start against Michigan.

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, and again against Air Force with 57 assists.
  • Three Hawkeyes recorded a career high in digs. Mari Hinkle (11), Bailey Ortega (15), and Maddie Slagle (22).

RECORD BOOK UPDATE

  • Hannah Clayton and Amiya Jones are tied for first (.300) for all-time hitting percentage in school history.
  • Clayton currently ranks ninth in program history with 303 career blocks. She is 45 blocks away from tying Carolyn Giese for 10th.

BEST CONFERENCE IN THE NATION

  • Seven Big Ten teams are ranked in the top 25 of the AVCA Coaches Poll: No. 4 Wisconsin, No. 9 Nebraska, No. 7 Ohio State, No. 11 Minnesota, No. 8 Purdue, No. 15 Penn State and No. 25 Illinois.
  • 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.

20 KILLS

  • Buzzerio has recorded 20 kills in four matches this season. (Duke, Ball State, Air Force, and Illinois).
  • She has recorded double digit kills in 16 of the 22 games this season.

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.