When senior volleyball player Bethany Yeager steps on the court in Carver-Hawkeye Arena tonight against Michigan, she will have the opportunity to enshrine herself in the Iowa record books.

Yeager is currently 2 digs away from tying and 3 digs away from breaking the all time school record of 1,931 set by Janet Moylan in her four years as a Hawkeye from 1987-90. The record has stood for more than 23 years, so it’s only fitting that a player such as Yeager would be the one to break it.

“She’s very intense, and she knows so much about volleyball,” freshman Alyssa Klostermann said. “She’s definitely someone I always look up to an someone who I’ve been so excited and lucky to play with ever since I committed to Iowa.”

Talking to Yeager, you’d never get the impression that she is someone about to make the Hawkeye record books. It’s clear that her priorities lie with the team, something you’d expect from a senior who has started every single match in her career.

“It’s really cool, but once again it just comes back to my teammates,” Yeager said. “It’s not about me. All we’re focusing on is Michigan and Michigan State and hoping to do whatever we can to pull out a win against those two teams. I just want to compete hard against them.”

While Yeager’s attitude is humble, it is also a necessary one if the Black and Gold want to have any chance of beating Michigan or Michigan State this weekend. Both the Spartans and the Wolverines have already earned victories against the Hawks this season, and the Hawks know that if they want win, they will have to play better than the did when they lost on Oct. 11.

“Last time we traveled there, we obviously didn’t play as well as we wanted to,” Yeager said. “We’re looking forward to this weekend as an opportunity to play them again.”

The Hawkeyes’ previous matchups with both teams have helped them learn what the opposition’s strengths are and what areas of their own game they need to improve if they hope to win.

“Both squads have some really big hitters, so we’re going to have to be on top of our defensive game, as well as our serving and our passing games, just like any other night,” Yeager said. “I think if we can stand tall on defense, it will translate to success on offense as well.”

Both Michigan and Michigan State have top-25 rankings — the Wolverines are 19th, and the Spartans are 16th. While senior Rachael Bedell knows how well these two teams match up against the Hawkeyes, she is confident in her team’s ability to pull off the upset.

“I think consistency is still our biggest issue,” she said. “That’s one thing we’ve struggled with from week to week. Having said that, I think we have a great opportunity to capitalize. Michigan State hasn’t had the best time playing the second half of its Big Ten schedule, so I think that’s something we can take advantage of.”