Notes: Black Knight Invitational

THIS WEEK
Iowa begins its 2026 campaign at the Black Knight Invitational at West Point Friday through Sunday. The Hawkeyes open with Army on Friday at 5 p.m. (CT). Iowa then plays UAlbany on Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sacred Heart on Sunday at 10 a.m. All matches will be played inside Christl Arena.

HOW TO FOLLOW

• Iowa's match against Army will air on ESPN+ (subscription required).
• Live stats and recaps can be found on the Volleyball schedule page on hawkeyesports.com.
• In-game coverage will be shared on Iowa Volleyball's social media platforms.

SCOUTING ARMY WEST POINT

• Army finished 19-9 in 2025 with an 11-5 record in the Patriot League.
• The Black Knights placed third in their conference and made it to the championship game of their league tourney before bowing out to top-seed American.
• In the 2026 Patriot League Volleyball Preseason Poll, Army is picked to finish third.
• Senior setter Juliette Myrick earned preseason All-Patriot League recognition. In 2025, she tallied 566 assists, 232 digs, 123 kills, 36 blocks and 17 aces. Myrick also had two triple-doubles.
• Myrick and middle blocker Michelle Parker return as the kills leaders, each tallying 123 a season ago. Breelyn Bender was another option last year and returns with 81.
• Army hit .189 and allowed a .186 hitting percentage in 2025.
• Six Black Knights had triple-digit digs last season, including returners Annette Lee (239), Juliette Myrick (232) and Nicole Stroud (154).

SCOUTING UALBANY

• UAlbany was 14-12 in 2025, finished third at 6-4 in America East action and had a 4-3 record at neutral sites.
• The Great Danes battled four power conference teams last year, dropping matches to Boston College, Ole Miss, Syracuse and Texas Tech.
• Out of the six-team league, the Great Danes are picked to finish fourth in 2026.
• UAlbany seeks to replace 94% of its offensive production, including five attackers that recorded triple-digit kills from a season ago.
• The Great Danes leading returner offensively is McKenna Collins, who recorded 25 kills last season.
• Kasia Barletta anchors UAlbany’s back row after digging the team’s second-most attacks last year (269).

SCOUTING SACRED HEART

• Sacred Heart was 11-19 in 2025 and 8-10 in the MAAC. The Pioneers were 1-4 on neutral courts.
• The Pioneers hit .163 as a unit with 12.3 kills/set last year. Opponents hit .213.
• Sacred Heart is picked to finish seventh in the 12-team MAAC.
• Pioneer libero Miliana Villarreal landed on the MAAC Preseason All-Conference Team.
• She was a second-team all-conference selection a season ago. Villarreal was 16th in the nation in digs with a school-record 555 last year.
• Sacred Heart returns kill leaders Ryleigh Short (375), Abbie Hagedorn (309) and Lauren Hubert (297). 

2026 NEWS

• Head Coach Jim Barnes is two wins shy of 500 in his career.
• Iowa brings back 13 letterwinners from last season's team. Four newcomers, including two transfers and two freshmen, make up the rest of the roster.
• The Hawkeyes will play 10 consecutive matches at home in the month of September.
• Carmel Vares is Iowa's leading returner in kills after recording 306 as a rookie.
• The Hawkeyes added Liv Mogridge and Ksenija Tomic to continue improving an offense that improved to a .243 hitting percentage last year.
• Iowa was picked to finish 15th in the Big Ten Preseason Poll.
• The Big Ten Conference is introducing the first-ever Big Ten Volleyball Tournament. The top 15 teams qualify for the event in Fishers, Indiana, Nov. 20-25.

BARNES GOES FOR CAREER WIN NO. 500
Head coach Jim Barnes is two wins shy of 500 heading into the 2026 campaign. He is aiming to join 26 active head coaches that have amassed 500 wins, including Wisconsin’s Kelly Sheffield and Purdue’s Dave Shondell. Barnes began his head coaching career in 1996 at Lamar. The Lake Charles, Louisiana, native has enjoyed successful stops at Wyoming, Baylor and Tulane before being named Iowa’s 11th head coach in school history in December of 2021.

SET THE TONE
Third-year Jenna Meitzler takes the reigns at the setter position this fall after the graduation of Claire Ammeraal. The Barrington, Illinois, native enters the season with plenty of experience. In 2024, Meitzler appeared in 24 matches following Ammeraal’s injury, and tallied 709 assists, 143 digs, 55 blocks and 18 aces. Last season, Meitzler played in 13 matches and recorded 48 assists. Coming out of high school, Meitzler was the top-ranked setter from the state of Illinois by PrepDig Volleyball. She was a second-team AVCA High School All-American as a senior. Additionally, Meitzler was first-team all-state and the Mid-Suburban League Conference Player of the Year as a senior. 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Several marquee matches highlight Iowa’s 2026 schedule. The Hawkeyes will appear on television four times this season, all of which are home contests. Matches against Drake, Purdue, Wisconsin and UCLA will air on the Big Ten Network. Iowa will also participate in the inaugural B1G/SEC Challenge in September. The Hawkeyes hit the road for matches in Starkville, Mississippi, against Mississippi State and Alabama. 2026 marks the return of the Big Ten Discover Volleyball Challenge, highlighting weekday matches against Maryland, Michigan, Purdue, USC and Washington. The Big Ten will host the first-ever Big Ten Volleyball Tournament in Fishers, Indiana, Nov. 20-25. The top 15 teams from the regular season standings qualify to the tournament.

UP NEXT
Iowa travels to Starkville, Mississippi, for the inaugural Big Ten/SEC Challenge. The Hawkeyes will play hosts Mississippi State on Sept. 3 at 7 p.m. before wrapping up the event against Alabama on Sept. 4 at 2 p.m. Both matches will be streamed and broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network with play-by-play from John Evans.