By James Kay
The Hawkeye volleyball team (15-7) is in the midst of a three-match losing streak going into this weekend against Northwestern and No. 24 Illinois in Carver-Hawkeye.
While on paper it seems to be faltering, the team has improved its game during the skid.
Last weekend, the Hawkeyes took No. 3 Minnesota to five sets, while also staying with Wisconsin in the final two sets of that match (25-20, 25-23). The team shored up its serving game, too, giving away only five service errors against the Badgers. They also played tough defense against an efficient Wisconsin offense.
“On the stat sheet, it comes out with two Ls, but for us, it was two big steps,” senior Alyssa Klostermann said. “Being able to go to five sets with Minnesota was huge for us and was a big confidence-booster. We really grew on defense and being able to grind with the best is what it takes to compete in the Big Ten.”
Iowa head coach Bond Shymansky also liked the growth he saw in his team this past weekend.
“The outcome last weekend was disappointing, but the process wasn’t,” he said. “As we continue to grow and build our program and our individual players, it was a clear demarcation of improvement for us. There’s certainly reason for optimism for our program, but there is even greater reason for hard work.”
One of the aspects of their game that the Hawkeyes need to improve on is keeping up their energy all the way to the end of the match. If the Hawkeyes are able to do that, they will be good shape as Illinois (14-7) has struggled to win its longer matches. The Illini are 12-2 in matches that are three sets. In matches that go are four sets or more, Illinois is 3-6.
One of the ways the Hawkeyes have prepared for in-match situations is through a drill they call “intensity points.” The drill emphasizes continuing to grind through points and staying in the moment. Redshirt freshman Meghan Buzzerio believes this could help the team.
“We have been working this week on staying intense throughout the match,” she said. “We really have emphasized staying engaged and focusing on our team chemistry to help us get through our matches.”
Becoming more energized may prove to make a difference, because there have been times in which the Hawkeyes have struggled to keep their energy up.
In their seven losses this season, five of them have been dropped in straight sets. They are also 0-6 when they have lost the first set.
“For this upcoming weekend, we treat every team we play like they are ranked one of the top three teams in the nation,” Klostermann said. “That is what it is going to take to beat Northwestern and Illinois, and it is going to take our very best to overcome them.”
The Hawkeyes begin their home stand today against Northwestern at 7 p.m. in Carver-Hawkeye. They will take on Illinois at 7 p.m. Saturday.