Hawkeyes’ newcomers aren’t exactly rookies

IOWA CITY - The Iowa Hawkeyes will try to continue their volleyball ascent with a revamped roster.

Eight newcomers climb aboard. Four of them have college experience.

'There are a lot of new faces, and we get to find what they can do,” said second-year coach Bond Shymansky. 'We've done all types of team-building things. It opens the door to see who everybody is and what makes them tick.”

Junior setter Loxley Keala played two seasons at Missouri, and is projected to start immediately for the Hawkeyes. Junior middle blocker Ashley Mariani spent two seasons at Tennessee. Sophomore outside hitter Taylr McNeil played her first season at South Carolina. And sophomore defensive specialist Annika Olsen is expected to add back-row depth after a year at Georgia Tech.

'All four transfers have found playing time so far,” Shymansky said. 'The starting lineup keeps shifting. I get to test and tinker constantly.”

Keala, a native of Hawaii, isn't exactly coming to Iowa blindly.

'I've known Bond since ninth grade when I was looking at Marquette,” she said. 'Missouri just wasn't a good fit for me. Here, I get to set a 5-1 (offense). I'm grateful for that.”

Shymansky's first year was a season of progress. A perennial Big Ten bottom feeder in recent years, Iowa finished 14-17 last year, 6-14 in the conference.

That included a four-match Big Ten win streak late in the season, highlighted by a win over 12th-ranked Purdue.

The newcomers are the storyline to the team, but there are some veterans in the mix.

Lauren Brobst and Jess Janota led the team in kills last season, with 286 and 226, respectively.

Brobst, a junior from Sioux City, is one of four Iowans on the roster. Junior Alyssa Klostermann, who shared the setting duties last year, is from Dubuque. Alli O'Deen is a senior from Iowa City West; Molly Kelly is a freshman from West Liberty.

'I'm trying to bring a lot of positive energy,” Kelly said. 'I'm fighting to get a spot and serve my teammates the best I can.”

Despite last year's progress and this year's optimism, the reality is this - it's tough to gain traction in the Big Ten. Defending NCAA champion Penn State is ranked No. 1. Nebraska and Wisconsin are tied for fifth, Illinois is eighth.

Iowa is picked 11th in the league.

'The Big Ten is a brutal marathon,” Shymansky said. 'It feels like we're running uphill all the way.

'Eleventh - I don't like that. My team doesn't like that.”

If the Hawkeyes can move up a couple spots from that, a postseason berth could be within reach.

'We're working for the NCAAs,” Brobst said. 'I think this is the year.”

Iowa opens at the Northern Illinois tournament Aug. 29-30 at DeKalb, Ill. The Big Ten opener is Sept. 23, at home against Nebraska.

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