Iowa volleyball downs Indiana in the wake of Brown’s termination
The Hawkeyes defeated the Hoosiers, 3-1, just one day after their head coach Vicki Brown was terminated by Iowa Athletics.
Setter Bailey Ortega sets the ball during a volleyball game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and Indiana Hoosiers at the Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa on Friday, Nov. 5, 2021. The Hawkeyes beat the Hoosiers 3-1.
November 6, 2021
After a turbulent 48-hour stretch, Iowa volleyball picked up its second win against a Big Ten Conference opponent this season.
The Hawkeyes downed Indiana, 3-1, at Xtream Arena in Coralville Friday night.
The victory came in the wake of Iowa Athletics’ termination of Hawkeye volleyball head coach Vicki Brown.
“We have definitely had a hard couple of days, nobody can deny us that,” senior outside hitter Courtney Buzzerio said.”We just kept saying we are going to play for each other. We kept the mindset that every play is for the person next to you.”
Buzzerio helped lead the Hawkeyes’ offensive effort Friday, racking up 18 kills.
Buzzerio and the Hawkeyes were coached by two of Brown’s former assistants Friday: Dave Brown and William Tatge. The pair was tasked with overseeing the Iowa volleyball program for the rest of the 2021 season after Vicki Brown was terminated on Thursday.
“I am so proud of this team and the way they came out and really played aggressively tonight,” Dave Brown said postgame. “It has been a crazy season, and they battled tonight. I am so proud of their effort and what they did on the court. It was really cool to see and even cooler to be a part of.”
While Vicki Brown’s termination could’ve held Iowa back for the remainder of the season, the Hawkeyes have chosen to use it as motivation and carry it like a chip on their shoulders.
“I think, with everything that has happened in the last two days, I don’t think anyone expects us to win — let alone win sets,” Buzzerio said. ”I think the world expected us to go 0-8 tonight, the next month. But our willingness to be successful and be selfless really paid off tonight.”
KEY PERFORMER
Junior outside hitter Edina Schmidt broke out against the Hoosiers, finishing with a season-high 19 kills. She and Buzzerio combined for 27 of Iowa’s 61 total kills.
“Playing for my teammates was the only thing going through my mind,” Schmidt said. “All we talked about tonight was making this match about our team, that includes players and staff.”
UP NEXT
Iowa will host No. 4 Wisconsin on Saturday night at Xtream Arena. The Hawkeyes were swept by the Badgers in Madison as recently as Oct. 6.
Wisconsin is 19-2 overall on the 2021 season. The Badgers boast an 11-2 Big Ten record.
Action between the Hawkeyes and Badgers will begin at 7 p.m. Saturday and stream live on BTN+.