VB Notebook: No. 25 Washington, at No. 2 Nebraska

THIS WEEK

Iowa returns home to host No. 25 Washington in a Gold Out on Friday night at Xtream Arena. First serve is set for 8:05 p.m. (CT) and will be televised on the Big Ten Network. The Hawkeyes then travel to No. 2 Nebraska for a matchup with the Cornhuskers on Sunday afternoon at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. First serve is set for 2 p.m. (CT).

HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG

• Iowa’s match against Washington will air live on the Big Ten Network. The Hawkeyes’ contest against Nebraska will be broadcast on B1G+.
• All of Iowa’s matches will be available on the Hawkeye Radio Network (YouTube) with John Evans on the call. Broadcasts are complete with a pre-match show and post-match coverage.
• Live stats for each contest can be found on the volleyball schedule page at hawkeyesports.com.
• Updates and recaps can be found on Iowa Volleyball’s social media platforms.

SCOUTING No. 25 WASHINGTON

• Washington remains the only undefeated team in the Big Ten, starting the season 12-0 and 2-0 in conference play.
• The Huskies have sweeps over Indiana and Illinois.
• Senior Madi Endsley and junior Emoni Bush lead the Huskies with 119 and 108 kills, respectively.
• Junior Molly Wilson and freshman Alexis Haury facilitate the offense with 270 and 208 assists, respectively.
• Senior Lauren Bays holds down the defense with 157 digs this season.
• Washington is fourth in the Big Ten in blocks (130.0) and averages 10.8 blocks per match.
• Head coach Leslie Gabriel enters her second season with the Huskies after spending over two decades as an assistant coach and player for Washington.

SCOUTING No. 2 NEBRASKA

• Nebraska is 12-1 on the season, opening the first week of conference play with wins over UCLA and #21 USC.
• The Huskers have notable wins over No. 4 Louisville, No. 5 Stanford, No. 6 Creighton, No. 13 Kentucky and No. 15 Arizona State.
• Sophomore Harper Murray, Merritt Beason and Andi Jackson terminate for the Husker offense with 137, 125, and 117 kills, respectively.
• Freshman setter Bergen Reilly is fourth in the league in assists (483) and contributes on defense with 134 digs.
• Senior Lexi Rodriguez holds down the back row with 164 digs.
• Nebraska is second in the Big Ten in kills per set (14.00).
• Head coach John Cook enters his 24th season with the Huskers and has recorded over 700 career wins with Nebraska.

2024 NEWS

• Iowa has started 2-0 in the Big Ten for the first time since 2008.
• Outside hitter Malu Garcia was named B1G Freshman of the Week on Sept. 30 after her performances at Rutgers and Maryland.
• Iowa is 4-0 in five-set matches, including wins over Maryland and Rutgers.
• Iowa opened the season with a sweep of the Puerto Rico Classic, knocking off Liberty, 3-0, and Providence, 3-1.
• Junior setter Claire Ammeraal eclipsed 2,000 career assists in the opening weekend, recording a double-double against Liberty and a triple-double against Providence.
• Ammeraal posted Iowa’s first triple-double (34 assists, 17 digs, 11 kills) since Courtney Buzzerio in 2021. It is the third time a Hawkeye has achieved a triple-double since 2005.
• The Hawkeyes went 2-1 at the Hawkeye Invitational, with a five-set win over Delaware and a sweep of Cal Baptist. Ammeraal and freshman Malu Garcia were named to the all-tournament team.
• Freshman setter Jenna Meitzler set a team-high 52 assists in Iowa’s match at Milwaukee.
• Senior Gracie Gibson earned all-tournament status at the Kwik Star Klassic, posting 29 kills, nine blocks and a .509 hitting percentage.
• Senior libero Joy Galles leads the Big Ten in digs (225).
• Sophomore Hannah Whittingstall ranks second in the league in blocks (64.0).
• The Hawkeyes are tied for second in service aces (94).

THE FRESHMAN PHENOM

Outside hitter Malu Garcia kicked off league play with impressive performances at Rutgers and Maryland and was named the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Week on Sept. 30. The freshman from Hilo, Hawaii, tallied 28 kills and 14 blocks in Iowa’s east coast sweep. Garcia matched a career high with 17 kills in the conference opener at Rutgers, while filling the stat sheet with nine blocks and eight digs. She finished the weekend with 11 kills and five blocks in Iowa’s five-set win at Maryland. Garcia is Iowa’s first Big Ten Freshman of the Week since Brie Orr earned the honor in September of 2017. It is Iowa’s first weekly conference recognition since Courtney Buzzerio was the Big Ten Player of the Week in the spring of 2021.

INSTANT IMPACT

The Hawkeyes have relied greatly on several newcomers in 2024. Senior Joy Galles leads the Big Ten in digs through four weeks of competition. Outside hitters Malu Garcia and Dominique Phills are Iowa’s most-productive offensive weapons, leading the team in kills with 110 and 101, respectively. The Hawkeyes have two newcomers at the setter position. Claire Ammeraal, a transfer from Central Michigan, paces the Hawkeyes with 223 assists. Freshman Jenna Meitzler saw her first game action at the Panther Invite, recording 101 assists in 10 sets. Defensive specialist Jaimie Marquardt has appeared in 37 sets, digging 58 attacks.

HAWKEYE TRANSFERS

• Joy Galles comes to Iowa as a graduate transfer from the University of Arizona. Galles appeared in 52 matches as a Wildcat, tallying 180 digs and 57 assists in 2023.
• Kenya Prescott joins the Hawkeyes as a transfer from DMACC. She holds the career school records for digs (1,561) and digs per set (5.80) at DMACC. In two seasons, Prescott played in 76 matches and averaged 5.80 digs per set.
• Claire Ammeraal transfers in from Central Michigan, where she played in 63 matches. The junior setter had over 1,000 assists as a sophomore and registered 168 kills in 2023. She has surpassed 2,000 career assists since joining the Hawkeyes.
• Hannah Whittingstall arrives in Iowa City after spending her freshman year at SMU. Whittingstall put on a show against Houston in 2023, setting career highs in kills (9) and total attacks (22). The sophomore hit .583% against Baylor a season ago.
• Gracie Gibson is a graduate transfer from Lafayette College, appearing in matches in all four seasons as a Leopard. Entering the season, the veteran had played in 79 matches and averaged 1.71 kills per set in her career.

UP NEXT

Iowa continues conference play with home matches at Xtream Arena against Rutgers on Oct. 11 and Purdue on Oct. 12. Both matches are scheduled to start at 6 p.m. (CT) and will broadcast on B1G+ and the Hawkeye Radio Network. The contest with the Scarlet Knights is a rematch of Iowa’s Sept. 26 win, while the match with the Boilermakers will be the only meeting this season.