The University of Iowa opened its award-winning Carver-Hawkeye Arena in January 1983. The 15,400-seat, ovalshaped arena is one of the finest multi-purpose facilities in the world and one of the 25 largest university-owned arenas in America. It is the largest volleyball facility in the Big Ten and boasts a top 30 national attendance ranking each year.

Twenty-eight years after it first opened, Carver-Hawkeye Arena was the beneficiary of a $47 million revitalization project. The renovation and addition included a multicourt practice complex, state-of-the-art 12,000-square foot strength and conditioning center, and new locker rooms for the Iowa volleyball program.

The renovation also included a drop-down curtain in the arena bowl designed to create an intimate atmosphere during Iowa volleyball matches. The capacity with the curtains dropped is 8,715 — larger than any volleyball facility in the Big Ten.

The extensive renovation complemented the new scoreboard and video walls installed inside the arena prior to the 2006 season. The state-of-the-art equipment features two video walls with live action and instant replay capabilities. The scoreboards at each end of the court are 48 feet in length and feature a 256 x 72 Led Matrix display area.

The most recent addition to Iowa volleyball’s playing environment is a Taraflex Sport M Plus floor. The team received the portable flooring system in the fall of 2013. The Hawkeyes are one of six college programs to implement the floor. The top of the line playing surface helps increase player safety and allows diving athletes to slide across the floor with ease. The Taraflex Sport M Plus floor has been the playing surface of Olympic volleyball since 1976.