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VB Notebook: Michigan, IllinoisVB Notebook: Michigan, Illinois
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VB Notebook: Michigan, Illinois

Iowa wraps up a three-match homestand at Xtream Arena, hosting Michigan on Friday and Illinois on Sunday.

THIS WEEK
Iowa wraps up a three-match homestand at Xtream Arena, hosting Michigan on Friday and Illinois on Sunday. First serve against the Wolverines is scheduled for 6 p.m. (CT). Iowa welcomes Illinois for a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. Both matches will stream live on B1G+ and the Hawkeye Radio Network. Fan promotions include Country Night against Michigan and Spike-or-Treat against Illinois.

HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG

  • Both matches will be streamed live on B1G+ (subscription required).
  • All of Iowa’s matches are 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

  • The Hawkeyes completed the season sweep of Rutgers, defeating the Scarlet Knights, 3-0, on Oct. 11. It was Iowa’s first sweep of a conference opponent since 2022 (Rutgers).
  • Senior Michelle Urquhart posted a career-high .471 hitting percentage against Washington on Oct. 4.
  • Freshman Malu Garcia set a career high with 20 kills in Iowa’s match against No. 10 Purdue.
  • 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 is second in the Big Ten in digs (309) and is fifth in the league in digs per set (3.91).
  • The Hawkeyes are 4-0 in five-set matches, including wins over Maryland and Rutgers.
  • Iowa is 7-1 when winning the opening set. The Hawkeyes are 8-2 when winning the second.
  • 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.
  • 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 MICHIGAN

  • The Wolverines are 15-4 on the season and 5-3 in conference, with wins over Illinois, Ohio State, Rutgers, UCLA and Washington.
  • Graduate student Allison Jacobs leads in offensive production for Michigan with 301 kills, averaging 4.12 a set, throughout the season. She has the third-most kills in the Big Ten.
  • The Wolverines are fourth in the league in kills per set (13.67).
  • Sophomore Morgan Burke facilitates the offense for the Wolverines with 743 assists on the season. She ranks second in assists in the conference standings.
  • Senior Maddi Cuchran holds down the defense for Michigan with 293 digs, ranking her third in Big Ten standings.
  • Michigan has the fewest blocks in the Big Ten (137.0).
  • Head coach Erin Virtue is in her second season with the Wolverines.

SCOUTING ILLINOIS

  • The Fighting Illini are 13-5 on the season and 5-3 in conference with wins over Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State and Northwestern.
  • Graduate student Raina Terry leads the offense with 291 kills so far this season, which ranks her fourth overall in the conference. She is tied for fourth in the Big Ten in services aces rankings with Michelle Urquhart at 34.
  • Redshirt junior Brooke Mosher runs the offense for the Fighting Illini with 572 assists and leads the team in service aces with 40 — good for third in the league.
  • As a team, Illinois averages the second-most aces per set in the Big Ten (1.88).
  • Freshman Ashlyn Philpot is a wall at the net, leading Illinois with 80 blocks.
  • Chris Tamas is in his eighth year as the head coach of the Fighting Illini. He has led Illinois to four NCAA Tournament appearances, including three regional appearances and a trip to the Final Four in 2018.

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 was Iowa’s first weekly conference recognition since Courtney Buzzerio was the Big Ten Player of the Week in the spring of 2021. Since then, Garcia has updated her career high, notching 20 kills in Iowa’s match against No. 10 Purdue.

INSTANT IMPACT
The Hawkeyes have relied greatly on several newcomers in 2024. Senior Joy Galles is second in the Big Ten in digs (309) through eight weeks of competition. Gracie Gibson has the highest hitting percentage for Iowa (.371) and averages 2.01 kills per set from the middle. Malu Garcia leads the team in kills with 204, while Gibson is third on the team with 147. 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 510 assists. Claire Ammeraal is a transfer from Central Michigan and has 239 assists in 31 sets.

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
The University of Iowa volleyball team travels to Columbus to face off against the Ohio State Buckeyes on Thursday, Oct. 31, at the Covelli Center. The match will be televised on the Big Ten Network. The Hawkeyes have a quick turnaround when they head to University Park to battle the No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions on Friday, Nov. 1, at Rec Hall. B1G+ will stream the match live.