Nebraska’s No. 2 volleyball team returns home from the first road game of the Big Ten schedule after a clean sweep of Illinois in front of the largest crowd in Huff Hall history.

The Huskers’ neighbor is waiting for them at the Devaney Center as the Iowa Hawkeyes look to shock the volleyball world with their first win over NU in program history. Despite the intense rivalries in other sports such as football, women’s basketball, baseball and wrestling, volleyball is a rare exception.

It remains to be determined if Nebraska will fall short again after missing second-year superstar Andi Jackson at Illinois. Husker coach Johannes Kok provided no update after Thursday’s game.

Here’s everything you need to know for the Huskers’ Sunday matinee.

How to follow

Matchup: No. 2 Nebraska (13-1, 3-0 B1G) vs. Iowa (8-6, 2-0 B1G)

Where: Devaney Sports Center, Lincoln, NE

Time: 2pm CDT

Watch: Nebraska Public Media

Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

Iowa Scout

Head Coach: Jim Barnes | 3rd season | 26-51 (.338) at Iowa; 481-396 Career HC Record | Previous HC stops at Tulane, Baylor, Wyoming and Lamar.

2023 record: 8-24 (0-20 B1G, 14th) | One B1G Sportsmanship Honoree | Did not qualify for the NCAA Tournament.

Balance against Nebraska: 0-38 (last game 2023, Nebraska won 3-0)

Fun fact: Nebraska has never lost to Iowa in volleyball. In the rally scoring era, the Huskers have beaten Iowa in 23 of their 25 meetings. NU won a five-set thriller in 2019 and defeated the Hawkeyes in four sets in 2018.

Main returns: Anna Davis, MB, RS-Sr. | Gabby Deery, OH, Soph.

Most important additions: Malu Garcia, OH, Fr. (Recruiting) | Hannah Whittingstall, MB, Soph. (SME) | Gracie Gibson, MB, Sr. (Lafayette College) | Dominique Phills, OH, Fr. (Recruiting) | Jenna Meitzler, S, Fr. (Recruiting) | Claire Ammeraal, S, Jr. (Central Michigan) | Joy Galles, L, Gr. (Arizona).

Key starting points: Caitlan Buettner, OH (eligibility) | Nataly Moravec, Ohio | Delaney McSweeney, MB (Eligibility) | Kaia Mateo, S (Rice) | Bailey Ortega, S (LSU) | Sydney Dennis (FIU) | Amanda Darling (California Baptist).

Outlook: It was always going to be difficult to build a roster coming off an 8-24 record in the regular season and an 0-20 mark in conference play. That was the job third-year Iowa coach Jim Barnes was given last season. Not much went right for the Hawkeyes in 2023, getting swept 18 times from 31 games, with all the wins coming on their non-conference slate.

Despite the recession, Barnes has already matched his win total from last season (8) and Iowa is in a great position to match and surpass the 10-win total he achieved in his debut season in Iowa City. That’s because of his shrewd work in the transfer portal to rebuild a side that lost practically its entire lineup due to eligibility and transfers to other programs.

Though at the heart of this Hawkeye resurgence are a number of key freshman recruits enticed by Barnes to help rebuild Iowa. Hawaii freshman outside hitter Malu Gracia leads the charge with a team-high 2.76 kills per set at a .225 clip, which coincides with 43 blocks and five aces. In addition to returning sophomore Gabby Deery (2.24 K/S), 6-1 freshman forward Dominique Phills has also impressed in her first season on campus by posting over 100 kills (2.24 K/S).

Iowa had a 6-2 offensive system last season, but lost both Kaia Mateo (Rice) and Bailey Ortega (LSU) to the transfer portal. Barnes opted to combine youth with experience for this season’s 6-2 mark, with freshman Jenna Meitzler (9.94 A/S) and Central Michigan transfer Claire Ammeraal (8.58) leading the way. A second-team All-MAC performer last season, Ammeraal was a do-it-all player for the Hawkeyes. She averages an eye-popping 2.12 kills per set with a hitting percentage of .320 from 125 swings. Additionally, her 2.46 digs per set is second on the team and she has also chipped in 11 blocks. Despite being a freshman, Meitlzer has developed well as a blocker with 33 on the season, which is fourth and only one of four players with 30 or more kills.

Another duo acquired this offseason, Hannah Whittingstall and Gracie Gibson, anchor the middle for Iowa. Whittingstall transferred from SMU after one season and leads the team with 64 total blocks and 2.08 kills per set on a .269 hitting percentage. Gibson, a senior, transferred from Lafayette College, where she led the Patriot League in hitting percentage (.381) while ranking fifth in blocks with a team-high 85. She is hitting better than Whittingstall with a 1.89 K/S on a .358 clip with 58 blocks.

Looking for more experience, Barnes convinced college libero Joy Galles to spend her final college volleyball season at Iowa. She has a team average of 3.88 D/S with 16 aces. Michelle Urquhart, an outside hitter who followed Barnes from Tulane in 2022, is the most dangerous server on the Hawkeyes. Her team-leading 26 aces rank fourth in the Big Ten and are on pace to break the school record of 40 in a single season.

Barring a slump by the No. 2 Huskers, this should be a win for NU. However, it will be fascinating to see what Barnes and his staff can do with this team the rest of the year after starting conference play 2-0 for the first time since 2008. Voted last in the preseason Big Ten Poll, expectations were bleak for the Hawkeyes, but a pair of five-set wins over Rutgers and Maryland could help keep them from finishing in the cellar for the second straight year.

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