VB Notebook: No. 2 Nebraska, at No. 16 Minnesota

THIS WEEK
The Hawkeyes conclude their home slate, welcoming No. 2 Nebraska to a sold-out Xtream Arena on Wednesday. Iowa heads to Minnesota for its only meeting with the Golden Gophers on Saturday. The Hawkeyes host the Huskers in their Black and Gold Spirit match beginning at 6 p.m. on Wednesday night. Iowa’s match at Minnesota is slated for a 7:30 p.m. start. Both matches will be streamed live on B1G+ and the Hawkeye Radio Network.

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.
• 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 and the News section on hawkeyesports.com.

2024 NEWS

• Six Hawkeyes hit over .300 in Iowa’s win over Indiana on Nov. 14, leading to a team-high .371 hitting percentage.
• Sophomore Hannah Whittingstall set career bests in kills (16) and aces (4) against Northwestern on Nov. 10.
• Redshirt freshman Alyssa Worden posted her first career double-double at Penn State on Nov. 1. Worden set career highs in digs (14) and kills (10).
• Senior Michelle Urquhart notched a pair of career highs in October. Urquhart recorded a .471 hitting percentage against Washington on Oct. 4 and tallied 20 kills against Illinois on Oct. 27.
• Freshman Malu Garcia set a career high with 20 kills in Iowa’s match against No. 10 Purdue.
• 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).
• Garcia was named B1G Freshman of the Week on Sept. 30 after her performances at Rutgers and Maryland.
• The Hawkeyes are 4-0 in five-set matches, including wins over Maryland and Rutgers.
• 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 #2 NEBRASKA

• Nebraska is 26-1 on the season and 15-0 in conference play. The Huskers have wins over No. 2 Stanford, No. 4 Louisville, No. 7 Wisconsin, No. 9 Kentucky, No. 9 Creighton, No. 10 Purdue, No. 12 Oregon, No. 14 Arizona State, No. 16 Minnesota and No. 20 USC.
• This will be the second meeting between the Cornhuskers and Hawkeyes. Nebraska had a 3-0 sweep of the Hawkeyes in Lincoln in early October.
• Sophomore Bergen Reilly facilitates the Cornhuskers offense with 998 assists this season — good for fifth in the Big Ten.
• Reilly averages 11.09 assists per set, which is sixth in the nation.
• The Huskers offense is led by sophomore Harper Murray and senior Merritt Beason with 294 and 269 kills, respectively.
• As a team, Nebraska ranks eighth nationally with 14.27 kills per set.
• Senior Lexi Rodriguez holds down the defense for Nebraska with 338 digs.
• Head Coach John Cook is in his 24th season with the Huskers, amassing more than 700 wins and winning national championships in 2000, 2006, 2015 and 2017.

SCOUTING #16 MINNESOTA

• The Gophers are 17-9 on the season and 10-6 in the Big Ten with wins over previously-No. 1 Texas and No. 7 Wisconsin.
• Redshirt senior Melani Shaffmaster runs the Gophers’ offense with 901 assists.
• Junior Julia Hanson and redshirt senior Lydia Grote are Minnesota’s key offensive threats with 365 and 268 kills, respectively.
• Graduate student Phoebe Awoleye is tough to hit around at the net with 138 blocks — good for second in the league.
• Minnesota leads the Big Ten in total digs (1,496) and is second in digs per set (15.27).
• The Gophers are fourth in the Big Ten in opponent hitting percentage, allowing .169 through 26 matches.
• Keegan Cook is in his second season with the Gophers, earning them an NCAA tournament appearance in his first season as head coach.

MICKEY’S CAREER CAMPAIGN
Senior Michelle Urquhart has set career highs in recent matchups against Washington and Illinois. The Virginia Beach, Virginia, native shattered her previous best with a .471 hitting percentage against the Huskies on Oct. 4. On Oct. 27, Urquhart drilled 20 kills against Illinois to update her career best. Her previous best was 17, which she accomplished three times while at Tulane. She also matched her high for total attacks (52). Earlier this season, Urquhart tallied double-digit kills in six consecutive matches, helping Iowa win three Big Ten contests.

THE FRESHMAN PHENOM
Outside hitter Malu Garcia 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.

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 wraps up its season in Los Angeles, taking on UCLA (Nov. 27) and No. 21 USC (Nov. 29). Both matches will start at 9 p.m. (CT).