Adversity is something Iowa volleyball has been forced to familiarize itself with all year. As the season begins to wind down, the difficulties only seem to ratchet up for the Hawkeyes.

On Wednesday evening, the Fighting Illini handily defeated Iowa in three sets. Illinois came into the game as the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s 21st-ranked team.

The Illinois matchup marked the beginning of a difficult eight-game stretch for the Hawkeyes. Five of Iowa’s final eight games of the season will come against ranked opponents. All five of those teams are ranked inside the top 10.

The remaining schedule features No. 4 Wisconsin, No. 6 Minnesota, and two matches against No. 7 Nebraska.

Additionally, half of the Hawkeyes’ final stretch of matches are road matches.

“I love my team,” head coach Vicki Brown said. “We’ve become experts at working through adversity.”

The first of Iowa’s matchups with Nebraska will come on Saturday evening at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes have a prime chance to blemish the Cornhuskers’ relatively perfect résumé.

Nebraska began 2019 ranked second in the nation. Currently, the Cornhuskers are 19-3 overall and 11-2 in conference. Their only losses have come to ranked teams: No. 4 Wisconsin, No. 5 Stanford, and No. 15 Purdue.

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Nebraska boasts a high-flying attack. Hitters, both experienced and inexperienced, contribute each night for the Cornhuskers. Freshman Madi Kubik and juniors Jazz Sweet and Lexi Sun are among the team’s kill leaders.

“Whoever is on the other side of the court doesn’t matter,” sophomore Courtney Buzzerio said. “If it’s Rutgers, Penn State, or Nebraska, it doesn’t matter. Their reputation as a team [doesn’t matter]. It’s just a matter of how we play. I think if we even just visualize ourselves on the other side of the net like we do at practice, that’ll help us a lot. I think it’ll help us silence the noise of what their jersey says and everybody else.”

The Cornhuskers are experienced, and their roster is loaded with talent. However, Iowa’s depth, versatility, and grit may give Nebraska fits as the match presses on. The Hawkeyes have the pieces in place; they just need to maximize them.

“I think it all needs to come together,” senior Emily Bushman said. “The components are there. The consistency just needs to get there as well.”

Outside hitter Griere Hughes added to her teammate’s thoughts.

“We’re going through a lot of adversity right now,” Hughes said. “People are hurt, some people [aren’t] feeling well, and this season has just been a lot. Hopefully, we can put something together this weekend.”

The Cornhuskers will likely be the heavy favorite at Carver on Saturday, as they are currently riding at three-game win streak. However, the Hawkeyes aren’t letting that discourage them.

Rivalry games are unpredictable, and Iowa knows that.

“It’s kind of nice to play somebody new right now, which is exciting” junior Halle Johnston said. “Playing Nebraska is always super fun, because we know it’s going to be super competitive. They’re a great team. It’s gonna give us a lot of energy. We’re super excited to play them.”