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SERVE IT UP
The University of Iowa volleyball team continues Big Ten play this week as it returns home to host No. 3 Minnesota on Friday and No. 4 Wisconsin on Saturday. The match against the Golden Gophers is slated for 6 p.m. (CT), while Saturday’s contest against the Badgers is scheduled for 7 p.m.
WATCH/LISTEN/FOLLOW ALONG
Friday’s match will be on BTN and Saturday’s contest will be streamed live on Hawkeye All-Access at hawkeyesports.com.
Live audio is available for both matches on Hawkeye All-Access at hawkeyesports.com. Friday’s match against Minnesota will also air live on AM 800 KXIC.
Live stats for each contest can be found on the volleyball schedule page on hawkeyesports.com.
HAWKEYE PROMOTIONS
Friday, Oct. 21 vs. Minnesota – 6 p.m. (BTN)
— Moped Giveaway – Two fans will win a new moped
Saturday, Oct. 22 vs. Wisconsin – 7 p.m.
— Pink Night – All fans are encouraged to wear pink in support of Breast Cancer Awareness
— Holden Cancer Center Night
— High School Team Night
FOLLOW THE HAWKEYES
For an inside look at the Iowa Volleyball program and access to exclusive coverage, “like” University of Iowa Volleyball on Facebook and follow @IowaVolleyball on Twitter and Instagram. Be sure to follow the team’s live Twitter feed, @IowaVB_Live, for more frequent in-match tweets, statistics and more.
HISTORICAL START
The Hawkeyes improved to 15-5 on the season and 5-3 in conference action with a 3-0 sweep over Maryland last Friday. The team fell to No. 19 Ohio State on Saturday, but their 15-5 overall record marks the team’s best start to a season since 1988.
SCOUTING MINNESOTA
Minnesota enters the weekend 14-3 overall and 6-2 in league action.
The Golden Gophers are ranked No. 3 in the nation after they defeated Wisconsin but fell at Michigan State last week.
Sophomore setter Samantha Seliger-Swenson leads the league and ranks sixth in the nation in assists per set with 11.69.
Minnesota leads the all-time sereis 65-12. Iowa last defeated the Golden Gophers (3-1) on Sept. 22, 1995.
SCOUTING WISCONSIN
Wisconsin currently holds a 15-2 overall record and is 7-1 in Big Ten play. Their lone conference loss of the season was to Minnesota (3-0) last Friday.
Wisconsin is ranked fourth in both the NCAA RPI poll and the AVCA poll after they captured a 3-2 victory over Michigan but fell to Minnesota (3-0) last week.
As a team, the Badgers rank third in the league and 34th in the nation in opponent hitting percentage. They have held their opponents to just .163 in hitting percentage.
Wisconsin leads the overall series 50-20-1. Iowa last topped the Badgers on Nov. 11, 2009 in a five-set thriller.
UPCOMING CAREER MILESTONES
Lauren Brobst is approaching the 1,000 career kills mark. The senior, who is 17 kills away, currently ranks 18th on Iowa’s all-time list with 983 career kills. Jennifer Webb holds the all-time record for the Hawkeyes with 1,791 kills (1993-96). Loxley Keala is also just 29 assists from reaching 2,000 in her career. Janet Moylan (1987-90) holds the program record with 5,471.
5 STRAIGHT
The Hawkeyes had a five-match conference win streak over the last two weeks. The streak began with a 3-0 victory over Maryland at home before they secured a sweep over Northwestern in Evanston on October 1. The streak continued with a 3-2 upset over No. 17 Purdue, followed by back-to-back-sweeps of Indiana at home and Maryland on the road. The five straight wins marked the longest conference winning streak for the program since winning eight straight in 1994.
UPSET ALERT
Iowa knocked off No. 17 Purdue in five sets Oct. 7 in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes improved to 13-4 overall (3-2 B1G) with the victory, marking the team’s best start to a season since 1988. It also marked Iowa’s first win over a ranked opponent since Sept. 12, 2015 (No. 25 Texas A&M).
A BALANCED ATTACK
Five Hawkeyes reached double digits in kills in Iowa’s, 3-2, win over No. 17 Purdue on Oct. 7. Redshirt freshman Meghan Buzzerio led the charge with 13, while senior Ashley Mariani (12), sophomore Reghan Coyle (12), senior Lauren Brobst (11), and junior Jess Janota (10) also reached double digits. Senior setter Loxley Keala distributed the offense, dishing out a season-high 48 assists in the five-set contest.
NATIONALLY SPEAKING
Nine Big Ten teams appeared in the season’s first AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 Poll, released Oct. 17. Currently, Nebraska ranks No. 1, followed by No. 3 Minnesota, No. 4 Wisconsin, No. 9 Penn State, No. 11 Michigan State, No. 16 Michigan, No. 19 Ohio State, No. 22 Illinois and No. 24 Purdue.
ON THE BLOCK
Junior Jess Janota and sophomore Reghan Coyle have been a force on the block for the Hawkeyes this season. The duo accounted for 11 of the team’s 16 total block assists against Michigan on Sept. 24.
Coyle set a career-high with five blocks against the Wolverines.
Janota registered seven blocks in Iowa’s upset win over Purdue on October 7 and topped that with a career-high eight at Maryland on October 14.
KEALA THE QUARTERBACK
Senior setter Loxley Keala averages 11.14 assists per set — a mark that ranks second in the Big Ten and 20th nationally.
Keala ranks fourth in the Big Ten Conference and 82nd in the nation in total assists (724).
Keala had a double-double on the road against Maryland. She racked up a career-high 18 digs and 37 assists. This was her second double-double of the season (first: Maryland, Sept. 28 with 32 assists and 10 digs).
OLSEN ON DEFENSE
Olsen has reached double digits in digs in 16-of-20 matches this year, including a season-high 22 in Iowa’s win over Northern Illinois on Aug. 28.
Olsen has amassed 762 digs in 51 career matches as a Hawkeye.
COYLE MAKES AN IMPACT
In 20 games this season, Coyle has already surpassed her kills total from last season. The Council Bluffs, Iowa, native has registered 134 kills this season. Last season, she recorded 68 in 23 matches.
Coyle’s .333 attack percentage ranks 17th in the Big Ten.
Coyle was named to two all-tournament teams this season (Hawkeye Classic and Cyclone Invitational).
Coyle has also been a force on the block. The sophomore has collected 54 blocks on the season and averages 0.83 blocks per set.
AROUND THE LEAGUE
The Hawkeyes are ranked fifth in the Big Ten in assists per set (12.92) and fourth in hitting percentage (.280).
The Hawkeyes hold their opponents to an attack percentage of .172
— the fourth lowest in the Big Ten.
Iowa’s 13.71 kills-per-set average ranks fifth in the conference.
AROUND THE NATION
Iowa’s .280 hitting percentage ranks 13th nationally.
The Hawkeyes are also ranked 47th in assists per set (12.92), 49th in opponent hitting percentage (.172), and 55th in kills per set (13.71).
NONCONFERENCE SUCCESS
The Hawkeyes finished non-conference play with a 10-2 overall record — the team’s best start to a season since 2006. Eight of Iowa’s 10 wins in nonconference action were three-set sweeps.
KLOSTERMANN SURPASSES 1,000
Alyssa Klostermann surpassed 1,000 career assists on Aug. 27 against DePaul. The senior’s 1,005 career assists ranks 11th on Iowa’s all-time list. Janet Moylan (1987-90) holds the school record with 5,471 career assists.
ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS
The Hawkeyes finished the non-conference season with 10 all-tournament selections, including three tournament MVP honors.
Senior Lauren Brobst was named the NIU Invitational’s most valuable player, and redshirt freshman Meghan Buzzerio and junior Annika Olsen were both named to the all-tournament team.
Brobst earned her second MVP honor in as many weeks at the Hawkeye Classic.
Junior Jess Janota and sophomore Reghan Coyle were named to both the Hawkeye Classic and Cyclone Invitational all-tournament teams.
Senior Setter Loxley Keala was named the Iowa Invitational’s MVP last weekend, and Buzzerio earned her second all-tournament honor of the season.
TRUE MENTAL TOUGHNESS
The Hawkeyes have been focused on one mantra since the beginning of the season: True Mental Toughness. Bond Shymansky’s squad defines true mental toughness as having a great attitude, treating others really, really well, being unconditionally grateful regardless of your circumstances, and giving your very, very best.
THE PREMIER CONFERENCE
The Big Ten Conference has had an NCAA Champion in eight of the last 12 years. Nine teams — Michigan State, Ohio State, Nebraska, Minnesota, Illinois, Penn State, Wisconsin, Michigan and Purdue — appeared in the 2015 NCAA Tournament with Nebraska winning their fourth national title. The title marked the third straight for the Big Ten Conference.
EUROPEAN TOUR
From May 24-June 6 the Hawkeyes traveled to four different countries as part of the program’s first European Tour. With stops in Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, and Ireland, the Hawkeyes squared off with professional and junior national teams to improve their game and bond as a unit.
NEW FACES
The 2016 roster features five newcomers, including two with collegiate experience.
Redshirt sophomore Kasey Reuter (OH) transferred from Missouri and joined the Hawkeyes last spring. The Sioux City, Iowa, native appeared in 31 matches with 12 starts as an outside hitter for the Tigers in 2014 before redshirting in 2015.
Redshirt freshman Meghan Buzzerio (OH/RS) transferred from Arizona to join the Hawkeyes this fall. The Chino Hills, California, native went to Arizona ranked 96th nationally on PrepVolleyball.com’s Senior Aces list.
The Hawkeyes also welcome three incoming freshman including defensive specialists Alexa Ito and Emily Bushman and outside hitter Cali Hoye.
ATTENDANCE RECORDS/SEASON TICKET SALES
The Hawkeyes downed Indiana in front of the ninth largest crowd (2,144) in program history on Oct. 8.
Iowa set two top-10 attendance marks in 2015. The Hawkeyes downed the Cyclones in front of the fifth-largest crowd in program history (2,488) on Sept. 11, before hosting the nationally ranked Huskers on Sept. 23 in front of 2,447 fans — the sixth-largest crowd in program history.
Iowa has sold more tickets in 2016 than it has in each of its previous seasons dating back to 2010.
In nine home matches this season, the Hawkeyes rank 16th nationally in average attendance (1,696).
ON DECK
Iowa concludes its four-match home stint in Carver-Hawkeye Arena with Northwestern on Oct. 28 and Illinois on Oct. 29. Both matches will be streamed on BTN Plus.