Iowa City Today

Iowa Hawkeyes women's volleyball will begin its first road trip of the Big Ten season with matches against Oregon and Washington on October 3 and 4. The team is set to face Oregon for only the third time in program history, with the match scheduled for Friday at 8:00 p.m. (CT). The following night, Iowa will play Washington at 6:30 p.m., a match that will be televised on the Big Ten Network.

Fans can watch Friday's game against Oregon on B1G+, while Saturday's contest will air on the Big Ten Network. Both matches will also be broadcast via the Hawkeye Radio Network on YouTube, with John Evans providing commentary. Live statistics and updates are available through hawkeyesports.com and Iowa Volleyball’s social media platforms.

Graduate student Chard'e Vanzandt reached a career milestone during Iowa’s sweep over Maryland on September 25, recording her 1,000th career kill. "Vanzandt led the offense with 14 kills with her 12th of the night hitting the milestone." She has led Iowa in kills in seven matches this season after transferring from JUCO Blinn College, Louisiana Tech, and Tennessee at Chattanooga.

This season, Iowa has secured ten wins—eight by sweep—and achieved nine nonconference victories, their highest total since 2014. At tournaments such as the Kwik Star Klassic and Hawkeye Invitational, players like Vanzandt have been recognized for standout performances.

Defensively, libero Milana Moisio leads the Big Ten with 187 digs. Middle hitter Hannah Whittingstall ranks second in blocks with 64, while Aleksandra Stojanovic holds the third-best hitting percentage in the league at .454. As a team, Iowa is among conference leaders in blocking and assist-to-error ratio.

International athletes have contributed significantly to Iowa’s performance this year. Freshman Carmel Vares has registered over one hundred kills with a .281 hitting percentage; sophomore Aleksandra Stojanovic has notched high hitting percentages in several matches and moved into a tie for twelfth all-time in program history; freshman Marichka Hoshylyk and defensive specialist Greta Schlichter have also made key contributions.

Looking ahead to their opponents, Oregon enters the weekend with a 9-3 record after opening Big Ten play with two road losses but remains undefeated at home this season. The Ducks are led by Iva Sucurovic in blocks (65) and Valentina Vaulet in kills (165). Head coach Trent Kersten is serving his first year after earning recognition as WCC Coach of the Year at Loyola Marymount last season.

Washington holds a 5-7 record overall and has yet to win a conference match this year. Kierstyn Barton and Alexa Markley are among Washington’s top offensive contributors. Katy Wessels leads defensively with blocks, while Alexis Haury directs playmaking efforts. Leslie Gabriel is now in her third season as head coach.

The Big Ten currently features seven teams ranked within the AVCA Top 25 poll. Nebraska sits atop national rankings at No. 1, joined by Wisconsin (No. 7), Minnesota (No. 10), Purdue (No. 13), Penn State (No.16), USC (No.17), and UCLA (No.24).

After completing their west coast swing, Iowa will continue their road trip next weekend against Michigan State and Michigan before returning home for two matches at Carver-Hawkeye Arena later this month—their first appearance there since fall of 2021 due to venue scheduling changes.