VB Notebook: Syracuse, Cornell

OPPONENT Iowa (6-4, 0-0) at Syracuse (1-6, 0-0)
LOCATION Syracuse, N.Y. (The Women’s Building)
DATE Friday, Sept. 15
FIRST SERVE 6 p.m. (CT)

 

OPPONENT Iowa (4-2, 0-0) at Cornell (1-6, 0-0)
LOCATION Ithaca, N.Y. (Bartels Hall)
DATE Saturday, Sept. 16
FIRST SERVE 1 p.m. (CT)

 

University of Iowa volleyball travels to New York on Friday to take on Syracuse at 6 p.m. (CT) inside The Women’s Building. The Hawkeyes then head to Ithaca, New York, on Saturday to compete against Cornell at 1 p.m. (CT) inside Bartels Hall.

HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG

  • Live stats for each contest can be found on the volleyball schedule page at hawkeyesports.com.
  • Friday’s match against Syracuse will be live streamed on Cuse TV, and Saturday’s match against Cornell will be available on ESPN+ (subscription required).

SCOUTING SYRACUSE

  • Bakeer Ganesharatnam enters his second season at the helm of  The Orange.
  • In all six of Syracuse’s losses, they have lost in three straight sets. The losses come to Navy, Albany, Central Florida,  Delaware State, Belmont, and the Big Ten’s Michigan State.
  • The squad’s one win was against Cornell, 3-1.
  • Syracuse returns four athletes this season, along with the audition of five freshman, and transfers from across the country.
  • The Orange finished the 2022 season 11-17 overall, and 7-11 in the ACC.
  • Stat leaders include Cherlin Antonio with 47 kills, Mira Ledermueller with 101 assists, Alyssa Bert with 10 service aces and 76 digs, and Zharia Harris-Waddy with 11 blocks.

SCOUTING CORNELL

  • Trudy Vande Berg enters her eighth season at the helm of the Big Red.
  • Cornell is currently 1-6 on the season. The Big Red’s losses came to William & Mary, Bucknell, Syracuse, West Virginia, Albany, and Colgate. The lone win came from the crew defeating Niagara, 3-1.
  • Cornell dropped 16 of their final matches in 2022.
  • The Big Red return 10 athletes and welcome six newcomers.
  • Cornell was picked to finish sixth (of eight teams) in the Ivy League preseason poll.
  • Stat leaders include Eliza Konvicka with 95 kills and seven service aces, Doga Ozalp with 241 assists, Sarita Pomar with 116 digs, and Camryn Carlo with 30 blocks.

 

2023 UPDATE

  • Iowa is 6-4 on the season, coming off a 2-1 weekend at the Hawkeye Invitational. Iowa tabbed wins over Central Michigan and Missouri State, and fell to Grand Canyon.
  • Iowa is leading the Big Ten in team assists (469), digs (606), kills (514), and aces (64).
  • Fifth year Caitlan Buttner has registered140 kills on the season, leading the Big Ten and ranking 20th in the NCAA. Buettner also leads the Big Ten in total points (158) and ranks 17th in the nation.
  • Junior Michelle Urquhart currently leads the league in service aces with 20 and ranks 14 across the country.
  • Iowa took second in the Hawkeye Invitational and Anna Davis and Caitlan Buettner were named to the all-tournament team.
  • With the Hawkeyes’ Fryfest Invitational win, Nataly Moravec was named tournament MVP and Caitlan Buettner and Delaney McSweeney were named to the all-tournament team.
  • At the Sacramento State Invitational, Anna Davis was named to the all-tournament team.
  • The Hawkeyes’ roster includes student-athletes from Colorado (2), Connecticut, Illinois (2), Iowa (6), Nebraska, New York, Texas (2), Virginia, Wisconsin, and New Zealand.
  • The 2023 squad highlights five seniors, three juniors, four sophomores, and six freshmen. Nine student-athletes are new to Iowa this season, including three transfers.

HAWKEYE TRANSFERS

  • Caitlan Buettner comes to Iowa from Texas State. The 6-2 outside hitter is a fifth year from El Paso, Texas.
  • Maddy Hanson came to the Hawkeyes from Denver. The sophomore middle hitter stands at 6-1 and is originally from San Antonio, Texas.
  • Nataly Moravec joins the squad from Brigham Young. Moravec stands at 6-2 as a sophomore outside hitter. Moravec calls Weston, Connecticut, home.

BEST CONFERENCE IN THE NATION

  • Six Big Ten teams finished the season ranked in the final top 20 AVCA Coaches Poll — No. 5 Wisconsin, No. 8 Ohio State, No. 9 Nebraska, No. 10 Minnesota, No. 11 Penn State, and No. 20 Purdue. 
  • The Big Ten Conference has crowned an NCAA Champion in 10 of the last 17 years and at least one Big Ten team has advanced to the Final Four in seven of the last eight seasons.
  • This season, six teams are ranked within the top 25 — No. 2 Wisconsin, No. 5 Nebraska, No. 7 Minnesota, No. 8 Penn State, No. 14 Ohio State, and No. 16 Purdue.

UP NEXT

The Hawkeyes head home to begin Big Ten play. Iowa will play Minnesota on Thursday, Sept. 21 at 6 p.m. (CT) inside Xtream Arena. The Hawkeyes will then play Ohio State on Sunday, Sept. 24 at 2 p.m. (CT). Full schedule details are available on hawkeyesports.com.