IOWA CITY, Iowa – Three volleyball standouts have signed to play at the University of Iowa, head coach Jim Barnes and staff announced Friday. Kaia Mateo and Alyssa Worden have signed national letters of intent, while Gabby Deery has accepted a written offer of admission.
“The 2023 class is a great next step for Iowa Volleyball. We are excited to announce and celebrate Kaia, Alyssa, and Gabby today,” Iowa associate head coach and recruiting coordinator Brian Yale said. “From our arrival and first interaction with today’s signees, it was clear that they were going to be great additions to our program, and to the University of Iowa itself. Individually and collectively, they are a class that has already embraced what this program is building. We know they are excited to get on campus and truly help in any way they can to keep this program moving forward.
“The maturity, work ethic, and character of this group is a great fit on and off the court. Athletically, they provide a great deal of versatility and add immediate depth within each of our positional groups. We're thankful that each felt as strongly about their fit at Iowa and with our new staff, as we did about them."
Kaia Mateo
Setter | New York City, NY | Avenues: The World School NYC
- Varsity starter all four seasons at Avenues: NYC
- Named the World School NYC Athlete of the Year, Offensive Athlete of the Year and Most Versatile Player as a junior
- Earned the Aviator Award, Core Value Recognition and Tri-Season Athlete Award (volleyball, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field)
- Two-time varsity team Captain
- Holds school track and field records in the indoor 55 meters, 200 meters and 300 meters as well as the outdoor 100 meters and long jump
- Member of the Food and Hunger Advocacy Club and the Zero Waste Club, while volunteering at St. Clements Food Bank, Holy Apostles and City Meals on Wheels
- Created three bilingual children’s books about ocean debris and read them aloud to second graders from schools in NYC and Sao Paulo over zoom calls to spread awareness about the worldwide dilemma of the plastic epidemic.
Alyssa Worden
Outside | Bartlett, Ill. | South Elgin
- Two-time state champion, first-team all-conference and Upstate 8Conference Champion
- Team MVP as a junior
- Illprep.com and Champaign News Gazette all-state second team
- Named to the All-conference Academic team
- Ranked fifth best player in Illinois according to Illinois Prep Volleyball
- Registered a career-best 17 kills against West Chicago in the 2021 Upstate 8 Conference Championship
- Earned AP Scholar with Honor Award during junior year
- Member of the National Honor Society
Gabby Deery
Outside | Burlington, Iowa | Burlington Notre Dame
- Two-time state and conference champion as a junior (2021) and senior (2022)
- Named All-Conference Co-Player of the Year and first team All-Conference by the Iowa Coaches Association as a senior
- As a junior, earned Player of the Year by Iowa Coaches Association and All-Hawk Eye as well as All-Iowa Volleyball Team, first team all-state, first team all-district and first team all-conference honors
- Tallied over 1,500 career kills during senior season
- Holds school records in career kills, career blocks, single season kills, single season blocks and single season aces
- Earned first team all-conference honors as a member of the Burlington Notre Dame basketball team
- Member of the Nation Honor Society as a junior and senior and Honor Roll recipient all four years
- Participated in Student Council, Leo Club, Star Mentorship, Get A Grip and Spirit Club