Two Iowa freshmen started for Bond Shymansky, and all four saw the floor.
By Kyle Mann
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When volleyball coach Bond Shymansky brought in a class of eight new players this past off-season, any sentient Iowa volleyball fan could have predicted that he expected an immediate impact from his four Division-I transfers. What wasn’t as clear was how his four freshmen would fit.
After the opening weekend, some light has been shed on that mystery. All four received playing time, and two started. Defensive specialists Molly Kelly (West Liberty) appeared in 11 of the 12 sets at the Northern Illinois Invitational, and Libby Koukol (Omaha) appeared in all 12.
Right-side hitter Reghan Coyle (Council Bluffs) and outside hitter Reagan Davey (Ocala, Florida) also made it to the floor.
The Hawkeyes needed that opening weekend to not only start competing but to get their team familiar with each other and get the freshmen’s feet wet. Though Shymansky joked that he has trouble keeping all the new faces in order, he was pleased with the opportunity.
“I keep teasing them that I’m going to call them ‘Hey, you’ for a while or maybe by their number because I don’t know the name,” Shymansky said. “They’re doing a really good job in terms of their individual capability. The rub is, When will we play truly like a team together?”
Iowa came out on Aug. 29 and won their match against South Dakota State in straight sets, but their second match of the day against Pacific provided a tumultuous five-set victory that gave their young players a taste of what it’s like to play in clutch situations.
“These players are coming in at a time that’s not very easy,” Shymansky said. “They’ve been standing and watching for two hours, and they’ve got to get their mind right, and get out there, and perform.”
Kelly did a particularly admirable job in the back row, accumulating 18 digs over the weekend (1.64 digs/set) while also logging a team-high eight service aces (.73/set).
Shymansky was rather impressed with Kelly’s performances in preseason practices. It comes as no surprise, then, that she entered the weekend feeling prepared for her début.
“Practice really prepared me for it, so I was ready once I got out there,” she said. “I expected to get out on the court, so I’m proud of myself for doing it, but I want to keep moving forward and helping the team more and more.”
Koukol logged 14 digs on the weekend and also collected a service ace. She admitted that there is obviously a noticeable difference from high school to Division I, but she, too, felt prepared and won’t shy away from challenging situations.
“It’s definitely a change from high school and club volleyball, but practicing with everybody in the preseason helps adjust to the pace,” Koukol said. “The first match, I was really nervous, it seemed kind of fast, but once you get out there and get used to it, it isn’t too bad.”
Perhaps these freshmen didn’t expect to get such meaningful playing time so early, but when it comes down to it, they’re living the dream right now. They are volleyball players, and they’re playing and starting in Division I. If all four carry the same mindset as Koukol, they’ll be just fine.
“It’s something that I just set out to do, and you know; if you set your goals high,” Koukol said. “You can achieve them.”
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