The Iowa volleyball team came out of the season’s first weekend with a 2-1 record. Now, Bond Shymansky’s squad will travel team to Tempe, Arizona, trying to keep the winning wheels turning in the Arizona State Tournament.

The Hawkeyes will face the Alabama-Birmingham at 1 p.m. Saturday, followed by Idaho State at 7 p.m. Iowa hasn’t faced either school since the 1990s, but owns a 1-0 record against Alabama-Birmingham and is 0-1 against Idaho State.

The team will then face  hosting Sun Devils at 1 p.m. S on Sept. 7. Arizona State is 2-1 versus the Hawkeyes, but Iowa came out on top in their last meeting, in 2011.

Iowa started three newcomers in last weekend’s matches, Jess Janota, Michelle Fugarino, and Mikaela Gunderson. Janota was selected to the Texas A&M All-Tournament team, along with senior Alex Lovell.

The Hawkeyes have good size on the floor this year, and as a result they out-blocked their opponents in the opening week, and they lead the conference in blocks with 37. Gunderson is the conference leader in blocks per set at 1.9.

In order to succeed, Shymansky will need senior leaders Lovell and Alessandra Dietz to remain effective up front and continue to get pleasantly surprising production from his young players.

The Hawkeyes are above .500 after the first week of the season but will receive a true test in Week 2 — Arizona State is ranked No. 17 in the country.

— by Kyle Mann