VB Notebook: Rutgers, No. 10 Purdue

THIS WEEK

The Hawkeyes (8-8, 2-2 B1G) return home to host Rutgers and No. 10 Purdue in the third weekend of Big Ten play. Iowa will face off against Rutgers on Friday at 6 p.m. (CT) at Xtream Arena. The match will celebrate the Hawkeye Women: Rise campaign. The Hawkeyes host No. 10 Purdue on Saturday evening at 6 p.m. and the match will serve as Iowa’s Parent Appreciation Day.

HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG

• Iowa’s matches against Rutgers and Purdue will be streamed live on B1G+ (subscription required).
• 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.

2024 NEWS

• Iowa’s 2-0 start in the Big Ten was its best since 2008.
• Outside hitter Malu Garcia was named B1G Freshman of the Week on Sept. 30 after her performances at Rutgers and Maryland.
• Senior libero Joy Galles leads the Big Ten in digs (248) and is seventh in the league in digs per set (3.9).
• The Hawkeyes are tied for fourth in the Big Ten in service aces (99).
• Sophomore Hannah Whittingstall ranks fifth in the league in blocks (67.0).
• Senior Michelle Urquhart has tallied double-digit kills in five-straight matches.
• The Hawkeyes are 4-0 in five-set matches, including wins over Maryland and Rutgers.
• 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.
• 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.
• Iowa opened the season with a sweep of the Puerto Rico Classic, knocking off Liberty, 3-0, and Providence, 3-1.
• 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.

SCOUTING RUTGERS

• Rutgers is 5-10 and 0-4 in conference play. It is the second meeting of the season between the teams.
• The Scarlet Knights have played a challenging league schedule, dropping contests at Michigan, vs. No. 9 Wisconsin and at Maryland. After playing Iowa, Rutgers heads to No. 2 Nebraska for a Saturday tilt with the Huskers.
• Redshirt junior Alissa Kinkela leads the Scarlet Knights in scoring, recording 188 kills. She has been productive during conference play, averaging 4.63 kills per set.
• Junior Aly Borellis has become the Scarlet Knights’ primary facilitator with 308 total assists and 139 coming in conference play.
• Freshman Natalie Robinson leads the team with 65.0 blocks this season.
• Caitlin Schweihofer is in her fifth season as the Scarlet Knights head coach.

FIRST MEETING

• Iowa and Rutgers met on Sept. 26 in Piscataway, with the Hawkeyes winning a five-set thriller.
• Malu Garcia matched a career high with 17 kills. She also tallied nine blocks and eight digs.
• Joy Galles dug a career-best 23 attacks in Iowa’s win.
• Rutgers attacker Alissa Kinkela posted a personal best with 29 kills and hit .456.

SCOUTING No. 10 PURDUE

• Purdue is 12-3 on the season and 3-1 in Big Ten play. The Boilers have notable wins over No. 12 Kentucky and No. 14 Minnesota.
• Junior Eva Hudson leads the team with 217 kills and ranks in the top five for both kills and kills per set in the Big Ten.
• Sophomore Taylor Anderson leads the Boilermakers in assists (583) — good for second in the conference.
• Senior Raven Colvin has a league-leading 92.0 blocks so far this season. Purdue ranks second in blocks in the conference.
• Dave Shondell is in his 22nd season with the Boilermakers, boasting a 470-229 record. He most recently won the Big Ten Coach of the Year award in 2021.

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 (248) through six weeks of competition. Gracie Gibson has the highest hitting percentage for Iowa (.368) and averages 1.91 kills per set from the middle. Malu Garcia leads the team in kills with 153, while fellow freshman Dominique Phills has 101 terminations in 45 sets. The Hawkeyes have two newcomers at the setter position. Freshman Jenna Meitzler saw her first game action at the Panther Invite, and now leads the team with 385 assists. Claire Ammeraal is a transfer from Central Michigan and has 223 assists in 26 sets. Defensive specialist Jaimie Marquardt has appeared in 44 sets, digging 62 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 hits the road for a midweek tilt at Northwestern on Wednesday, Oct. 16. First serve is at 8 p.m. (CT) and will air live on the Big Ten Network. The Hawkeyes return home on Sunday, Oct. 20, hosting Oregon at noon in Iowa’s Pink Out match. The contest will be streamed live on B1G+. Both matches will be broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network.