By James Kay
The Iowa volleyball team has seen a transformation.
In the past year, it has gone from being one of the bottom feeders of the conference to being one of the most physical teams in the country.
In their pregame warm-ups, the Hawkeye frontline jettisons missiles onto their opponents’ side of the court, setting the tone for what is to be expected from their high-powered offense. With every successful dig, spike, or pass, the Hawkeyes erupt in cheers and chants. Their energy remains on the court from the start of the match and continues until the Hawkeyes have left their opponents crestfallen.
Iowa has burst out of the gate strong, boasting a 12-4 record, and it is riding a two-game winning streak against conference opponents. Having gone through a 12-24 season the year before, the team has shown a different type of energy Iowa hasn’t seen in quite some time.
Above all else, the Hawkeyes have simply executed their game plan and have put up staggering numbers so far this season.
Kill differential thus far: +155
In the preseason, the upperclassmen and coaching staff raved about their newfound rotational depth on the frontline. Every team has exaggerated confidence at the beginning of the season, but the Hawkeyes have proven to be lethal with their even attack strategy on the offensive end.
The Hawkeyes already have 32 more kills in their first 51 sets than they did last year through their first 51 sets. They also have a plus-155 differential in kills against their opponents compared with last season, when they had a minus-22 differential.
What’s the correlation between the two stats? The team is putting away their opponents quicker than they did the year before. As a result, they have only reached the fourth set three times in 16 matches. The other 13 matches were decided by three sets, 11 of them being wins.
The Hawkeyes have four players with at least 100 kills (senior Ashley Mariani is 6 kills away from having 100). Senior Lauren Brobst has garnered a team-high 157 kills, and junior Jess Janota has contributed 123 kills in 16 matches so far. Redshirt freshman Meghan Buzzerio and sophomore Reghan Coyle headline the underclassmen contributions, combining for 224 kills.
With everyone contributing, the Hawkeyes have become less predictable on the offensive end.
Hitting percentage: .288 (4th in Big Ten)
The Hawkeyes rank fifth in the conference in kills (719) and fourth in hitting percentage (.288). While that may seem just slightly above average in a conference of 14 teams, the Big Ten holds three of the top-five nationally ranked spots. Considering the team went 2-18 in conference last year, having numbers that are comparable with elite teams in the nation is a huge step up.
The Hawkeyes also have four players that are hitting .330 or better on the season, all of whom are a part of the frontline. Coyle has shown star power since being moved back to the right side, where she is most comfortable. Coyle has hit .332 and has overwhelmed opponents with her power. Brobst and Janota have also stepped up, and each has a .344 hitting percentage.
With their five-headed attack on offense, the Hawkeyes are establishing themselves as one of the elite groups in the conference.