The Hawkeyes have started 0-6 in the conference, but they know what they’re dealing with.
By Kyle Mann
The Iowa volleyball team had all the makings of a squad prepared to break out, and it still does. However, although the program is much improved from one or two seasons ago, it has yet to translate to success in the Big Ten.
Momentum surrounding the program reached unprecedented heights prior to conference play, with wins over Iowa State and Texas A&M fueling hopes that the Hawkeyes had finally arrived as a formidable opponent in the Big Ten. And while the team has certainly been more “formidable” even in conference play, the Hawkeyes find themselves in an all-too-familiar spot, sitting 0-6 in the Big Ten.
There have been bright spots for coach Bond Shymansky’s team; that much is undeniable. But there are factors still holding the team back.
“I didn’t think that would be standing here at 0-6 at this point of the season like we were last year,” Shymansky said. “I knew we would be competitive in every match we played this season, and we have been. We have to turn that competitiveness into a killer instinct.”
What’s made the team competitive has been its quick and multifaceted offense, and the effect of improved confidence cannot be overstated. What’s kept the Hawks winless, however, has been much of the same old stuff. The rest of the Big Ten has some of the top teams in the country, and Iowa simply isn’t talented enough yet to be better.
An offensive system has gone a long way to put more points on the board for the Hawkeyes, and the intangible self-belief has given them fuel to stay engaged in matches. But at some point, raw physical talent comes in to play.
Unfortunately for the Hawkeyes, it’s come into play at the net.
Iowa is blocked by its opponent more than any other team in the conference, and inversely, is also one of the least-effective blocking teams. Though vastly improved, the team knows it suffers somewhat from lacking in physicality.
“Other teams are definitely big and physical; we’re not the biggest team in the Big Ten by any means,” Hawkeye Jess Janota said.
Again, however, the Hawkeyes insist that they can combat their physical disadvantage with system and quickness.
“That’s where we have to beat them with our speed,” Janota said.
With opposing hitters often getting clean looks on their swings, it puts a lot of pressure on the Hawkeyes, leading to being out of position or making unforced errors, which on paper would appear to be the Hawkeyes’ second biggest area of concern.
Currently making more than nine errors per set in conference play, the Hawkeyes’ attitude toward their sloppy play is simply to control what they can. They are undersized, but they can’t grow overnight. All they can do is try to be as crisp as possible.
“We’ve just got to stay on it and focus on our side of the net,” setter Loxley Keala said. “Keeping our tempo up and small-ball control, just little things like that.”
The good news for Iowa is that the conference season isn’t even halfway over, and there are a lot of matches left. There’s plenty of time to bounce back on the floor, so long as the Hawks maintain their newfound collective confidence.
The extra good news is that Shymansky likes the way his team is handling the slow start.
“Our group is not deterred,” he said. “They’re managing very well right now their disappointment and frustration level and turning it into a desire to win.”
Follow @KyleFMann for Iowa volleyball news, updates, and analysis.
