Volleyball’s top-25 recruiting class is having desired impact
Hansen, Boyer, and Rients help Hawkeyes lock down on defense and prepare for the future.
Iowa middle blocker Blythe Rients forces the ball back over the net during the Iowa volleyball game against Indiana on Sunday Oct. 20 2019. The Hawkeyes defeated the Hoosiers 3-1.
October 23, 2019
For any freshman, hearing your name called on the loudspeaker for the first time can be a dream come true. For several first-year players on Iowa’s volleyball team, that dream has already become a reality.
“It’s super cool, hearing my name called, going through the line of kids and giving high-fives,” Freshman Joslyn Boyer said.
With the Hawkeyes boasting a top-25 recruiting class coming into the season, the expectations have certainly been there for the group to live up to being one of Iowa’s best recruiting classes in recent memory.
Boyer was one of the few freshmen to have gotten minutes from the start, and consistent performances have seen the Illinois native keep her role through the season. Boyer just notched a career-high ten digs against Indiana, and it is clear that the defense has started to click with repetition.
“We’re building that trust with one another in the back row and getting a feel for our system a lot better,” Boyer said.
While some freshmen have had playing time for most of the season, some such as Blythe Rients have recently stepped up in a big way to help the team out on the defensive side of the ball.
Although Rients has played in just four matches this season, she played every set in the latest match against Indiana where she posted an incredible 11 blocks.
“A block is one of the best feelings. Some people think it’s a kill. I think a monster block feels pretty good,” Reints said. “The biggest part for me is to get close and get finished and trying to take up space rather than trying to always block the ball and the ball will find you.”
With Rients having been a valuable asset in the past few games on defense, the Hawkeyes should be able to have a stronger net presence throughout the second half of the season. Indiana is a strong blocking team with an average of 2.5 per set, so there is room for Rients to have an even bigger game coming up.
Rients also boasts unique leadership and communication qualities that have helped glue the team together.
“Blythe has always been a vocal leader. She’s always been one to come in with good ideas for adjustments,” Head coach Vicki Brown said.
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Although Rients has gotten much of the spotlight from her breakout game, she would not have been able to do it without her longtime teammate Kyndra Hansen. Hansen, also a freshman, played club volleyball with Rients for seven years before coming to Iowa.
“We’re pretty comfortable with each other up at the net, and our timing has been pretty natural,” said Rients. “I always feel confident with her right next to me up there, so I think her and I are really trying to make the back row’s job easier by putting up a solid block.”
Hansen has been putting up her best numbers of the season recently, recording 12 of her 20 blocks on the season in the past four matches — all against Big Ten competition. It is a similar statistic regarding kills, as she has tallied over half of her total for the season in the previous four matches as well.
Although the competition for spots has been getting more and more competitive, the competition has stayed healthy at practice and caused better preparation for games by giving the team a scenario that is as close to a real match as possible.
“It’s fun and nice having a lot of freshmen, so we’re all supporting each other and here for each other. So, we were ready for it,” Boyer said.
Although the goal of an NCAA Tournament bid looks out of reach, the team could go on a late season run and play spoiler with the help of several of the emerging freshmen. With the Hawkeyes getting ready to kick off the second part of their Big Ten season, the team can avenge several of the close losses and build the foundation for next season.
