The Iowa volleyball team’s revamped roster will be put to the test over its six-game spring schedule, which began over the weekend. 

The Hawkeyes lost eight key players including veterans Bailey Ortega, Delaney McSweeney, and Caitlin Buettner. This year’s spring roster consists of five newly acquired players from the transfer portal in setter Claire Ammeraal, liberos Joy Galles and Kenya Prescott, and middle hitters Hannah Whittingstall and Gracie Gibson. 

Iowa vs. Wayne State, Drake

Iowa traveled to Des Moines for a two-game slate against Drake and Wayne State on March 23, notching wins against both opponents. 

Ammeraal led the Hawkeyes with 84 assists and 11 kills over the two matches. Outside hitter Alyssa Worden logged 17 kills followed by outside hitters Gabby Deery and Nataly Moravec notching 13 and 12 kills, respectively. Galles led the Hawkeyes in digs. 

“Claire showed that she is a game-changing setter,” head coach Jim Barnes told Hawkeye Sports. “She can set, attack, and block. She also features a jump serve that produces aces. Claire disrupts the opponent’s blocks.”

Last season, Drake went 24-11 and Wayne State finished 31-3 with an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA Tournament. So, these two wins are encouraging for an Iowa team that ended their 2023 campaign on a 20-game losing streak. 

Iowa vs. Iowa State

Iowa will head to Hilton Coliseum on Saturday, March 30, to take on the Cyclones. Iowa State went 20-10 last season and lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Hawaii. 

The last time Iowa and Iowa State matched up was for the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series in Iowa City on Sept. 6, 2023. In that meeting, Buettner logged a team-high 23 kills, McSweeney followed up with 14 kills and seven blocks, and setters Ortega and Kaia Mateo finished with 51 total assists. Mateo transferred to Rice in the offseason. 

Meanwhile, the Cyclones are returning 10 of 15 players from the fall season, including setter Morgan Brandt, libero Brooke Stonestreet, and outside hitters Nayeli Gonzalez and Maya Duckworth, who all played over 100 sets in 2023. 

Iowa vs. Northern Iowa

After their matchup with Iowa State, the Hawkeyes will have two weeks off before heading to Cedar Falls to go against Northern Iowa on April 13. The Panthers are coming off a 26-7 season that included a 21-game win streak, securing its second MVC Tournament title in a row and reaching the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs lost to Miami-Florida in the first round.

UNI returns nine players from its historic season, including multiple key players in middle blocker Olivia Tjernagel, outside hitters Cassidy Hartman and Kira Fallert, and defensive specialists Erin Powers and Grace Mikota. 

The last time the two programs faced off was on Sept. 17, 2022, when Iowa swept Northern Iowa. Outside hitter Michelle Urquhart is the only current Hawkeye who competed in that match, recording eight kills, seven digs, and one ace. This was just the third matchup between the two schools, with Iowa holding a 2-1 series lead over UNI heading into the two squads’ spring exhibition matchup. 

Iowa vs. Creighton, Western Illinois, Northern Iowa

Iowa will end its spring schedule by hosting Creighton, Western Illinois, and UNI at Xtream Arena in Coralville on April 20. 

The Blue Jays ended their 2023 campaign with a 29-5 record and swept St. John’s in the Big East Tournament title game. The conference title was followed by an NCAA Tournament berth, going as far as the third round before falling to Louisville. 

Iowa and Creighton last saw each other on Sept. 4, 2010, where the Hawkeyes took a 3-2 win to take a 2-1 series lead. 

Though Creighton hasn’t released its official 2024 roster yet, the program is expected to bring in six new players to complete this fall. 

As for Western Illinois, the team finished last season with a subpar 9-21 record. The Leathernecks lost just two of their 17 players from the fall while bringing in three new players for the 2024 season. 

Iowa currently holds a 2-0 series lead over WIU. The last game between the two teams took place on Sept. 2, 2016, so the upcoming exhibition match will break the eight-year drought in the series.