2025 Final Notes

BUILDING THE PROGRAM
Iowa had its best season since 2016, finishing 15-17 overall and 6-14 in the Big Ten. The Hawkeyes got out to a 6-0 start and ended the year with their best home record (10-6) since 2016. The 2025 team posted more overall wins, conference wins and home wins than a season ago and improved its hitting percentage, kills/set and point differential totals.

2025 HIGHLIGHTS

• The Hawkeyes secured their best season since 2016 with a 15-17 overall record and 6-14 mark in the Big Ten in 2025.
• Iowa's 10-6 home record was its best since 2016. The 6-0 start was the best since 2009.
• The program improved in several categories from 2024, including wins, conference wins, home wins, hitting percentage, kills/set and point differential.
• Senior Claire Ammeraal was an AVCA first-team All-Central Region setter, marking Iowa's first all-region selection since 2021.
• Seniors Claire Ammeraal and Milana Moisio were named to the All-Big Ten second team, marking the first time since 2021 that a Hawkeye has landed on the all-conference team. Moisio finished second in the Big Ten with 451 digs. Ammeraal ranked second in the conference with 1,190 assists and was third in the league with 12 double-doubles.
• Setter Claire Ammeraal was drafted 22nd overall by the Omaha Supernovas in the 2025 MLV Draft.
• Junior middle Hannah Whittingstall was named the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 27. She had 15 blocks in a weekend sweep of Michigan State and Rutgers.
• Graduate Chard'e Vanzandt surpassed 1,000 career kills against Maryland on 9/25. Setter Claire Ammeraal eclipsed 3,000 career assists against USC on 10/17.
• Freshman Carmel Vares was Iowa's leading hitter in seven matches during her rookie season and was one of two Hawkeyes to have over 300 kills.
• Hannah Whittingstall finished with the program's most blocks (129) in the rally scoring era.
• Iowa broke long droughts with wins over Illinois and Ohio State in 2025. The 3-2 win at Illinois was the program's first in Champaign since 2005. Iowa beat Ohio State for the first time since 2008.

BEST START IN PROGRAM HISTORY
Iowa tied its best start in program history, racing out to a 6-0 mark to begin the year. The Hawkeyes were unblemished at the Rebel Challenge in Las Vegas with sweeps of UNLV and CSU Bakersfield sandwiching a five-set victory over Utah Tech. Iowa was then immaculate at its Kwik Star Klassic, sweeping Butler, Illinois State and Loyola Chicago. It was the fourth time in program history and first time since 2009 that Iowa had started 6-0. 

AMMERAAL PUTS A BOW ON CAREER
Setter Claire Ammeraal wrapped up her collegiate eligibility with the best season of her career. The Madison, Wisconsin, native started all 32 matches and finished with the second-most assists (1,190) in the Big Ten in the regular season. She averaged 9.52 assists per set and helped the team post its highest hitting percentage since 2016, as the Hawkeyes hit .243. Ammeraal was the most offensive setter in the Big Ten with 179 kills and 1.43 kills per set. She ended the season with two triple-doubles and 12 double-doubles, which were the third-most in the league. Ammeraal was a first-team AVCA all-Central Region selection and was drafted 22nd overall by the Omaha Supernovas in the 2025 MLV Draft.

WHITTINGSTALL CLIMBS TO TOP OF BLOCKS LIST
Junior Hannah Whittingstall set the school record for most blocks in a single season during the rally scoring era, finishing with 129. She was Iowa’s leader in blocks in back-to-back seasons. In her first season as a Hawkeye (2024), the San Antonio, Texas, native led Iowa with 104 blocks, including 11 solo. Along with her team success, Whittingstall was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 27. She totaled 15 blocks and averaged 1.67 blocks per set across Iowa’s wins over Michigan State and Rutgers. She led the Hawkeyes in blocks in both matches, picking up five against Michigan State and 10 against Rutgers. Whittingstall recorded the first double-double of her career with 14 kills and matched her career high with 10 blocks in Iowa’s come-from-behind victory over Rutgers on Oct. 26. The 10 blocks helped lead Iowa to a season-high 16.5 blocks against the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers was limited to a .220 hitting percentage, including .000 in the fifth set, due in large part to Whittingstall’s presence at the net. She also hit a blistering .636 against the Scarlet Knights, converting on 14-of-22 swings without committing an error.

GRADUATING HAWKEYES
The program bids farewell to three graduates: Claire Ammeraal, Milana Moisio and Chard’e Vanzandt. Ammeraal departs as the Hawkeyes’ setter and finished with the second-most assists in the Big Ten during the regular season. She earned second-team All-Big Ten honors. Ammeraal set a career high with 58 assists in Iowa's five-set match at Michigan on Oct. 11 and finished the season with two triple-doubles. She was the Rebel Challenge MVP and an all-tournament selection at the Kwik Star Klassic. Moisio was second in the Big Ten in digs (451) as Iowa’s libero and was named second-team All-Big Ten. She led Iowa in digs in 27 of 32 matches. Moisio also set a career high against Michigan, tallying 26 digs against the Wolverines. She was the Defensive MVP of the Kwik Star Klassic and an all-tournament selection at the Rebel Challenge. Vanzandt was Iowa’s kills leader after spending her final collegiate season in Coralville. Her 386 kills and 3.14 kills per set led the team. Vanzandt had double-doubles against Michigan State, Penn State and USC. She had 20+ kills on five occasions and led Iowa in single-game kills 17 times. She surpassed 1,000 career kills at the DI level in Iowa's sweep of Maryland on Sept. 25. Vanzandt began her pro career in December in Greece.

AMMERAAL DRAFTED BY OMAHA SUPERNOVAS
Claire Ammeraal was selected with the 22nd overall pick by the Omaha Supernovas in the 2025 Major League Volleyball draft. Ammeraal was the sixth pick in round three. The senior from Madison, Wisconsin, is the first-ever Hawkeye drafted to the MLV. After beginning her career at Central Michigan, Ammeraal joined the Hawkeyes in 2024 and compiled 1,568 assists, 263 kills, a .298 hitting percentage, 401 digs and 95 blocks. She has three triple-doubles and 14 double-doubles. This season, Ammeraal is one of 19 players nationally to record at least 410 assists, 220 digs and 85 kills. Ammeraal set her career high in assists (58) at Michigan on Oct. 11. She picked up her 3,000th career assist against USC on Oct. 17.

AVENGING DEFEAT
The Hawkeyes exacted revenge on Michigan State and Northwestern after suffering five-set losses to them earlier in the season. Iowa and Michigan State met twice in October, with the first meeting going the way of the Spartans. The Hawkeyes opened the October 24 weekend with a 3-1 victory over Michigan State, avenging the October 10 road loss. Iowa dropped the first set 25-22, before rattling off three sets in a row. Four hitters had double-digit kills and Iowa was led by Alyssa Worden's 16-kill, 15-dig double-double. The Hawkeyes faced Northwestern twice in a two-week span and, after falling to the Wildcats in Evanston, evened the season series with a five-set thriller in Coralville. Iowa had five hitters in double figures and was led by Worden and freshman Carmel Vares. Claire Ammeraal posted a double-double with 17 digs and 10 kills. The match featured 30 ties and 20 lead changes and had two sets go to bonus ball. 

ACADEMIC ACCOLADES
Thirteen Hawkeyes landed on the University Dean's List and ten were Academic All-Big Ten selections.Claire Ammeraal, Gabby Deery, Greta Schlichter and Rosa Vesty were named to the President's List. Ammeraal was named to the 2025 Academic All-America Second Team, as selected and announced by the College Sports Communicators (CSC). Ammeraal held a 3.98 GPA as a biology major. She was one of four Hawkeyes to earn CSC Academic All-District recognition. Jaimie Marquardt, Aleksandra Stojanovic and Alyssa Worden also earned all-district distinction.