VB Notebook: vs. Indiana

 

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 27 aces this season, leading the team.
• Jones ranks second in the Big Ten in both service aces (27) and aces per set (.47).
• Jones set her career high of seven aces at Indiana (October 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 Purdue, No. 6 Ohio State, No. 7 Wisconsin, No. 11 Minnesota, No. 11 Penn State and No. 24 Michigan.

ALL-TOURNAMENT, ALL HAWKEYES

• After winning the Hawkeye Invitational (Sept. 17), senior middle hitter Amiya Jones was named tournament MVP and sophomore outside hitters Toyosi Onabanjo and Addie VanderWeide were also named to the all-tournament team.
• Sophomore outside hitter Michelle Urquhart was named to the Cardinal and Black All-Tournament team on Sept. 10
• Senior libero Mari Hinkle was named to the PAC-12/Big Ten Challenge team on Sept. 4.
• Onabanjo and junior middle hitter Delaney McSweeney were named to the Oklahoma Invitational on Aug. 27.

MICKEY’S BREAKOUT OPENER

• Sophomore  Michelle Urquhart, an outside hitter transferring in from Tulane, recorded back-to-back double-doubles against Gonzaga and Florida International on Friday at the Oklahoma Invitational.
• Urquhart tallied 17 kills (.424) and 10 digs against Gonzaga before notching 10 kills and 12 digs against Florida International.
• In her freshman season at Tulane, Urquhart recorded 341 kills, placing her with the second most kills on the roster and the 12th most in the AAC.
• Urquhart finished her freshman season with 235 digs and six double-doubles.

TRANSFERS

• The Hawkeyes added nine student-athletes to the team this season, including seven transfers and two freshmen.
• Delaney McSweeney comes home to Iowa from Wake Forest. The 6-7 middle hitter is a junior from Center Point, Iowa.
• Jacqlyn Caspers is also coming home to Iowa from Kent State. The redshirt senior stands at 6-5 as a middle hitter and is originally from Swaledale, Iowa.
• Lily Tessier joins the squad from Florida State. Tessier stands at 6-3 as a setter, classifying as a redshirt senior. Tessier calls Fort Meyers, Florida, home.
• Anna Davis comes to the Hawkeyes with Coach Barnes from Tulane. Davis, a 6-1 middle hitter is entering her junior year. Davis hails from Castle Rock, Colorado.
• Michelle Urquhart joins Iowa alongside Davis and Coach Barnes from Tulane. The 6 foot outside hitter is a sophomore, hailing from Virginia Beach, Virginia.
• Amanda Darling transferred into Iowa from Niagara. The junior is a 5-3 libero from Oswego, Illinois.
• Madi Wahrmund steps into Iowa from Lafayette. The middle hitter stands at 6-1 and is a graduate student. Wahrmund calls Fredericksburg, Texas, home.

SET FOR SUCCESS

• Redshirt senior Lily Tessier, a 6-3 setter, spent four seasons with the Florida State Seminoles before entering the transfer portal.
• “Lily is an elite level, experienced setter,” said Coach Barnes. “She is a great communicator, teammate, and leader as well. Here ability to run the offense from well above the net will make her one of the most feared setters in the Big Ten.”
• A Fort Myers, Florida, native, Tessier appeared in 73 matches for Florida State totaling 1,765 assists (7.29 per set). She has 36 career aces and 464 digs. 
• Tessier ranks 11th all-time at FSU in assists per set and 14th in career assists. She is a three-time ACC Academic Honor Roll selection.
• Tessier was a four-year starter at Evangelical Christian High School. In 336 career sets, she recorded 185 aces, 600 digs, 376 kills, and 2,282 assists (6.8 per set). 
• She was named to the 2014 AAU All-American Team and the 2015 News-Press All-Area second team. 
• Tessier was named a finalist for the 2016 New-Press All-Area Volleyball Player of the Year award.

SOPHOMORE SPOTLIGHT

• Sophomore Addie VanderWeide made 27 consecutive starts to end her freshman season and recorded 12 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.
• Sophomore Toyosi Onabanjo made her first two starts in the Cy-Hawk Series Tournament.
• Onabanjo recorded five kills and four blocks in both matches. 
• Onabanjo opened the 2022 season at the Oklahoma Invitational with 26 kills with a hitting percentage of .308, notching 10 blocking assists and five solo blocks.
• VanderWeide started out the 2022 season at the Oklahoma Invitational with 13 kills and 22 digs.