Iowa City Today

The Iowa Hawkeyes women's volleyball team is set to begin a five-match homestand, starting with the annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series match against Iowa State on Wednesday at Xtream Arena. The match will start at 6:00 p.m. Following this, the Hawkeyes will host the Hawkeye Invitational on Friday and Sunday, welcoming East Texas A&M and Lindenwood. Friday’s match is scheduled for 6:00 p.m., while Sunday’s game begins at 2:00 p.m.

Fans can watch Iowa's matches via B1G+ streaming or listen to broadcasts on the Hawkeye Radio Network (YouTube) with John Evans providing commentary. Live statistics are available on the volleyball schedule page at hawkeyesports.com, and updates will be posted on Iowa Volleyball’s social media channels and website.

Last weekend, the Hawkeyes participated in the SEMO Invite, where they swept Murray State but lost two five-set matches. Earlier in the season, Iowa swept Butler, Illinois State, and Loyola Chicago at the Kwik Star Klassic. Setter Claire Ammeraal has been named tournament MVP at both the Rebel Challenge and Kwik Star Klassic. She leads the team with 287 assists and has recorded a triple-double along with two double-doubles so far this season.

Libero Milana Moisio was recognized as defensive MVP at the Kwik Star Klassic after tallying 38 kills, averaging 4.2 digs per set, and contributing 13 assists. Middle hitters Hannah Whittingstall and Aleksandra Stojanovic were also named to all-tournament teams during early-season play.

Iowa previously won the Rebel Challenge in Las Vegas by sweeping UNLV and Cal State Bakersfield before defeating Utah Tech in a five-set match.

Iowa State enters Wednesday’s contest with a 7-1 record; their only loss came against Northern Iowa. The Cyclones currently lead NCAA Division I in kills per set (15.16) and rank second nationally in assists per set (14.11). Last year they finished with a record of 10-18 and are projected to finish ninth in this year’s Big 12 conference standings.

Alea Goolsby leads Iowa State with 88 kills (3.52 per set), while senior Maya Duckworth—who made last season's all-Big 12 preseason team—has registered 70 kills so far this year alongside a .365 hitting percentage. Morgan Brandt ranks fifth nationally with an average of 11.19 assists per set for her final collegiate season; she stands eighth all-time for career assists at Iowa State. Rachel Van Gorp anchors their defense with 116 digs through eight matches under head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch, who is now in her twenty-first season leading the program.

East Texas A&M comes into Friday’s matchup winless (0-8) for the current campaign after finishing last year at 10-19 within Southland Conference play. Gracie Campbell leads their offense with 95 kills across eight matches; Haley Mullaney and Katelyn Pritchard have provided most of their assists thus far this season. Freshman Jade Washington heads up defensive efforts after earning all-tournament honors earlier this fall under third-year head coach Joe Morales.

Lindenwood holds a record of four wins and two losses heading into Sunday's game, including victories over Virginia Tech and DePaul; they were picked second in Ohio Valley Conference preseason polls following last year's OVC championship run that ended without NCAA postseason eligibility due to reclassification rules but included participation in NIVC postseason play—the first such appearance for Lindenwood as an NCAA Division I program.

Returning sophomore Autumn Bax leads Lindenwood offensively after setting a freshman record last year; Ashley Geluck was selected for OVC watch list honors ahead of this campaign; Meghan Donoughue ranks second among OVC setters for total assists under ninth-year head coach Will Condon.

International players have contributed significantly to Iowa's early success: freshman Carmel Vares leads team scoring with eighty-three kills through nine games; Aleksandra Stojanovic boasts a .466 hitting percentage along with fifty-three kills—she recently tied twelfth place all-time for single-match efficiency within program history—and Greta Schlichter has added twenty-three digs from her defensive specialist position.

Senior setter Claire Ammeraal continues her strong form from previous seasons by winning multiple tournament MVP awards already this fall while recording high numbers across several statistical categories including total assists (287), digs (71), kills (53), hitting percentage (.443), as well as posting her second career triple-double during victory over Utah Tech.

The Hawkeyes' offensive approach remains balanced—with Chard'e Vanzandt joining Vares atop kill totals so far—and production coming from multiple positions throughout recent tournaments as non-conference play concludes this week before Big Ten competition opens against Maryland followed by No.7 Wisconsin later this month.