It’s Iowa’s third five-set contest of the season, a road matchup against Weber State. The tempo is rising and the hitting is heating up as Hawkeyes and Wildcats alike fight to kill the ball. In Iowa’s last point of the game, fourth-year setter Claire Ammeraal sends the ball to first-year Carmel Vares.
The outside hitter rockets the ball into Weber State territory before the Wildcats even have a chance to respond. For Iowa, it’s a critical point to keep them alive. For Vares, it’s yet another kill, bringing her tally to 19 in total.
Hailing from Tartu, Estonia, Vares is one of five international athletes on this year’s roster, part of a team that also includes athletes from Serbia, New Zealand, Germany, and Ukraine.
Vares’ performance against Weber State on Sept. 13 nudged her to 83 kills in just nine competitions. Despite being a first-year and hailing from a country over 4,500 miles away, Vares has found this sort of success early on in her college career.
“I really feel like Claire trusts me a lot and that’s why I’m gaining so much confidence to swing the balls down,” Vares said. “I’m just trying to do my job. It’s been working well.”
Head coach Jim Barnes described the process that went into getting Vares, a highly-valued recruit even before she set foot on campus.
“It was quite a long process of connecting with her agent in Europe, getting to know her, and then recruiting her over a lot of schools,” Barnes said. “A lot of schools wanted Carmel. She found there were things that we offer here in Iowa that fit what she was looking for.”
Barnes, now in his fourth year with the program, also noted the freshman’s quick adjustment to playing, studying, and living abroad.
“Now that she’s gotten here, she says it feels like home,” Barnes said. “It’s been a good transition.”
As an outside hitter, Vares represents a crucial component of the Hawkeyes’ offense, aided by a fast tempo and strong spirit.
“Carmel is not easily rattled and she’s one of the most consistent players I’ve ever played with,” sixth-year Chard’e Vanzandt said. “We can always count on her to get a kill or keep the play alive. She always comes in clutch.”
Vanzandt, a transfer from Chattanooga, Tennessee, also knows that Vares brings a lot to the program in addition to specific skills.
“She brings a lot of fire to this team,” Vanzandt said. “A lot of people on the outside looking in don’t get to see that side of her, but within our team and within our core, she brings all of that. She’s a piece of the glue to the team.”
Vares expressed that Iowa’s hitting in general is a strong area for the Hawkeyes.
“We block really well, especially in really important situations,” Vares said. “I always feel like we’re getting good blocks and good block touches.”
Barnes said that Vares contributes significantly through her firepower.
“She’s got a really fast arm,” Barnes said. “She’s six-three and can hit it at a high point. She’s been blessed with a real aggressive attitude as well. Offensively, she’s something else, and we’re working on all the other parts of her game. She’s continuing to improve day by day.”
Barnes also described a time where every member of the team had to name a strength of Vares, where the first-year’s groundedness was a major talking point.
“It kept being repeated how down to earth she is and how grounded she is,” Barnes said. “It helps them relax on the court. When she makes a mistake, it isn’t the end of the world. She’s really tough. That really helps them. Some players get a lot of anxiety when they’re playing the game, where she’s just playing the game. Even as a freshman, I think she brings maturity to the team.”