| OPPONENT | Iowa (7-12, 1-6) vs. No. 9 Minnesota (10-6, 5-3) |
| LOCATION | Coralville, Iowa (Xtream Arena) |
| DATE | Wednesday, Oct. 19 |
| FIRST SERVE | 6 p.m. (CT) |
| OPPONENT | Iowa (7-12, 1-6) vs. No. 6 Ohio State (11-5, 7-1) |
| LOCATION | Columbus, Ohio (Covelli Center) |
| DATE | Friday, Oct. 21 |
| FIRST SERVE | 6 p.m. (CT) |
The Setting
University of Iowa volleyball hosts the No. 9 Minnesota Gophers on Wednesday at 6 p.m. (CT) inside Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa. On Friday, the Hawkeyes travel to Columbus, Ohio, to take on the No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes at 6 p.m. (CT) inside Covelli Center.
Live stats for the matches can be found on the team’s schedule page at hawkeyesports.com.
TV: The Minnesota match will be available on ESPNU. Anne Marie Anderson and Nicole Branagh are on the call. The Ohio State match will be available on B1G+ (subscription required).
Radio: John Evans will be on the radio call on Hawkeye Radio Network (YouTube).
SCOUTING MINNESOTA
- Hugh McCutcheon enters his 11th season at the helm of the Gophers.
- Minnesota is currently ranked ninth in the AVCA Coaches Poll.
- Iowa and then No. 7 Minnesota met earlier this season inside the Sports Pavilion in Minneapolis, Minnesota on October 2nd. The Gophers won 3-1.
- Minnesota is currently 5-3 in conference play.
- Their losses come from No. 11 Purdue, 0-3, unranked Northwestern, 2-3, and No. 6 Ohio State, 0-3.
- The Gophers wins come from #6 Wisconsin, 3-0, Iowa, 3-1, #24 Michigan, 3-0, Michigan State 3-0, and Illinois, 3-0.
- The Gophers are currently third in the conference in team total blocks (156.5). Minnesota also ranks fourth in the Big Ten in blocks per set (2.85) and hitting percentage (.256).
- Redshirt sophomore outside hitter Taylor Landfair ranks second in the Big Ten in attacks per set (11.29), kills per set (4.55), and points per set (5.02). She ranks third in total kills (250) and fourth in points (276). She ranks sixth in total attacks (621). She leads the team in kills (262).
- Graduate student libero CC McGraw leads the Gophers in digs with 171.
- Junior setter Melani Shaffmaster leads the team in assists with 609. She ranks second in the Big Ten in assists per set (10.51), and seventh in total assists (578). She leads the team in service aces with 20.
SCOUTING OHIO STATE
- Jen Flynn Oldenburg enters her second season at the helm of Ohio State volleyball. Last season she led the Buckeyes to a NCAA Sweet 16 appearance.
- The Buckeyes have the hardest schedule in the nation this season and rank sixth in the AVCA Coaches Poll.
- Iowa and then No. 7 Ohio State met earlier this season inside Xtream Arena on September 23rd. The Buckeyes won 3-0.
- Ohio State currently ranks first in the Big Ten in team attacks per set (35.15).
- Senior setter Mac Podraza ranks first in the Big Ten in assists per set (10.65), and ranks fifth in total assists (586). She leads the team in assists with 604.
- Junior outside hitter Emily Londot is fifth in the conference in both kills per set (3.82), and points per set (4.33). She leads the Buckeyes in kills with 217 this season.
- Senior defensive specialist Kylie Murr is 10th in the conference in total digs (216) and leads the team in digs with 234.
- Senior defensive specialist Gabby Gonzales is currently right behind Iowa’s Amiya Jones in Big Ten serving ranks. Gonzales is third in conference in aces per set (.47), and sixth in total aces (26).
- The Buckeyes are currently 7-1 in conference play. Their only loss from No. 3 Nebraska in a five set battle; 22-25, 26-24, 25-19, 20-25, 13-15.
- Ohio State’s conference wins come from defeating Iowa, Michigan, Indiana, No. 13 Penn State, Northwestern, Minnesota, and Rutgers.
THAT’S A B1G WIN
- The Hawkeyes picked up their first Big Ten win of the season over Indiana on Saturday, Oct. 8. Iowa defeated the Hoosiers, 3-2.
- Senior middle hitter Amiya Jones led the Hawkeyes with 17 kills, while junior middle hitter Delaney McSweeney followed with 15 on the afternoon.
- Redshirt senior Lily Tessier assisted 27 kills, while junior setter Bailey Ortega assisted 20.
- As a team, Iowa tallies seven service aces led by Jones and sophomore outside hitter Toyosi Onabanjo with two apiece.
B1G LEADERS
- Senior libero Mari Hinkle averages 4.52 digs per set which leads the conference. She also leads in the conference in total digs registering 253 thus far.
- Against Drake, Hinkle recorded a career-high 34 digs.
- Senior middle hitter Amiya Jones is ranked second in the conference for total aces (27) and second for aces per set (.47).
- Redshirt Senior setter Lily Tessier is ranked eighth in the Big Ten in total assists (448).
AJ’S ACES
- Senior middle hitter Amiya Jones has totaled 31 aces this season, leading the team.
- Jones is tied for second in the Big Ten in service aces (31) and and ranks fifth in aces per set (.44).
- Jones set her career high of seven aces at Indiana (Oct. 26, 2019), and has matched the seven aces twice this season against UNI and Purdue.
BEST CONFERENCE IN THE NATION
- Six Big Ten teams finished the season ranked in the final top 20 AVCA Coaches Poll — No. 1 Wisconsin, No. 2 Nebraska, No. 6 Purdue, No. 7 Minnesota, No. 11 Ohio State, and No. 17 Penn State.
- The Big Ten Conference has crowned an NCAA Champion in 10 of the last 16 years and at least one Big Ten team has advanced to the Final Four in seven straight seasons.
- This season seven teams are ranked within the top 25 — No. 3 Nebraska, No. 5 Wisconsin, No. 6 Ohio State, No. 9 Minnesota, No. 12 Purdue, No. 13 Penn State and No. 25 Michigan.