Challenge is a driving force in both athletics and life and often forces people to crumble. However, challenge does occasionally motivate people to succeed.

2019 has presented the Iowa volleyball team with no shortage of challenges. Playing in a Big Ten Conference that boasts six AVCA ranked teams may not be Iowa’s biggest challenge this season.

The greatest adversary the Hawkeyes have faced so far is the injury bug. Iowa lost redshirt senior Meghan Buzzerio to a season-ending ACL tear just a few weeks ago. Buzzerio was a team captain and the focal point of Iowa’s attack.

“Unfortunately, Meghan tore her ACL,” said head coach Vicki Brown. “She’s out for the season. The great thing about Meghan is, a couple days after finding out the news, she came up and was like, ‘Hey I’m still in this, what’s my new role?’ She didn’t have to do that. She’s a redshirt senior; she easily could’ve decided to just focus on her recovery. She’s still a part of us in every way that she can be.”

The Hawkeyes will likely lean on Brown and Buzzerio’s leadership greatly going forward. Iowa has struggled to finish off both individual sets and entire matches throughout this season. Quality leadership may give the Hawkeyes the bump they need to win some close matches and sets.

At this moment, the most pressing challenge for the Hawkeyes will come from the Nittany Lions. The Hawkeyes will travel to Pennsylvania to take on No. 5 Penn State this Saturday. Despite the prowess of their opponent, the Hawkeyes remain confident.

“We plan on winning in three sets,” said junior Griere Hughes. “We’re sweeping them for sure.”

Sweeping Penn State is a tall feat for this Iowa team with its history against Penn State. The Hawkeyes have never beaten the Nittany Lions, much less taken a set from them.

Only the Pittsburgh Panthers have been able to sweep Penn State in three sets this season. Typically, the Nittany Lions do all the sweeping. They boast a 9-3 overall record, and all of their losses have come against ranked foes.

The test Penn State will give Iowa is immeasurable. The Nittany Lions are an AVCA top-five team for a reason. Undeterred, the Hawkeyes are quite welcoming of the opportunity playing Penn State will provide them.

“We always love a new challenge,” Brown said. “My team loves a challenge. They’re competitive, and they want something special out of this year.”

Playing Penn State will give Iowa yet another opportunity to build its NCAA tournament résumé. If the Hawkeyes wish to make this season special, they need to start beating a few ranked foes. Iowa’s schedule provides a multitude of opportunities to do so.

“We need to finish games,” said Brie Orr. “I think that’s what we’ll be working on in practice this week.”

A few days of rest and practice will need to prepare Iowa for its greatest challenge of the season. There is no shying away from the might Penn State possesses. When taking the court against the Nittany Lions, there is no place to hide any deficiencies. 

In collegiate athletics, optimism the most valuable tool a team can have. A team with optimism has a chance to defeat any opponent standing in front of them. Iowa has a plethora of optimism at its disposal, meaning it has every opportunity to dispatch Penn State on Saturday.