V-ballers setting and building
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A new coach, a good season, and more fans seem to say things are looking up for Iowa volleyball.
What you should know
The team is coming of its most successful season since 2000 under first-year head coach Sharon Dingman.
Iowa finished ninth in the Big Ten with a 6-14 conference record and was 14-18 overall.
More fans visited Carver-Hawkeye per match last year than any other in the volleyball program’s history. The team averaged 1,146 fans per competition and had five of the team’s top-10 attendances in 2008.
Whom you should know
Sharon Dingman will enter her second year with the Hawkeyes after eight seasons as the head volleyball coach at Illinois State.
“I love working here,” she said. “I absolutely love it. It’s a great group of coaches, and every day I’m inspired to try to get better because my colleagues are so good.”
The Hawkeyes will return 14 players for the 2009 season and will be led by 2008 cocaptain Megan Schipper, who is one of two seniors-to-be on the team next season.
“I think it’s apparent that the whole team looks up to her,” sophomore-to-be Mallory Husz said. “She’s really stepped into a leadership role.”
Main rival
“Definitely Iowa State, because it’s our in-state rival,” junior-to-be Katie Kennedy said. “Naturally, we get pumped up to play it.”
While leading the overall series 21-19, the Hawkeyes have not beaten the team from Ames since 1997.
From 1997-2006 the teams only played once, an Iowa loss in 2003. Since 2006, Iowa has faced the Cyclones every year and has lost each meeting.
2008 Team Stats
Overall Record: 14-18
Conference: 6-14
Home Record: 7-6
Away Record: 2-11
Neutral: 5-1
Kills: 1,427
Assists: 1,310
Aces: 114
Digs: 1,540
Blocks: 243.5
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