Who stood out for Hawkeyes in Iowa volleyball's 3-0 start to 2026

The Hawkeyes dropped just one set — the second set against the Great Danes 29-27 — while cruising to a first-place finish at the Black Knight Invitational.

After stops at Lamar, Wyoming, Baylor and Tulane, head coach Jim Barnes secured his 500^th career coaching win on Saturday with Iowa’s 25-18, 27-29, 25-16, 25-13 victory over UAlbany.

Prior to the season, Barnes said he was more focused on starting 2-0 than getting his 500^th career win. He expanded on his thoughts after hitting the milestone over the weekend.

“There’s a lot of people behind that that I’ve thanked behind the scenes and who have reached out to me,” Barnes said. “It’s a neat deal just all the relationships from all those years. The most fun is all the former players, hearing from them — even the ones that I don’t think really liked me back then. They’re still reaching out and talking about how much they appreciate things.

“It was neat. But, being 2-0 and watching this team grow over all three matches was important.”

Barnes’ career record now stands at 501-427 (.540).

Step(onaitis)ing up

Third-year outside hitter Hallie Steponaitis entered the 2026 season with just 81 kills to her name since joining Iowa in the 2024 recruiting class. The Crystal Lake, Illinois native showed no hints of her lack of experience with 27 kills on (officially) three errors — Barnes disputes it was only one — over the weekend.

Her strong opening statement did not shock Barnes, but it was better than he figured it would be.

“I wasn’t thinking that she was only going to have one error for the three matches,” Barnes said. “… We were just in the airport until late last night, and sitting chatted with her. I told her at the end of spring, I go, I have this vision for you moving to the ride and really training there. I think all of your talents are going to come out at that position. She was like, Coach, whatever you want me to do. So, I was sitting there, I go, everything I envisioned, you did it to a T. I couldn’t be prouder of her. She’s one that players love to root for too. She’s such a great kid.”

Steponaitis earned tournament MVP honors. Liv Mogridge and Hannah Whittingstall also earned all-tournament team honors.

Jenna and Jaimie fill big shoes

Losing setter Claire Ammeraal and libero Milana Moisio after 2025 left Iowa with 243 sets unaccounted going into 2026.

However, third-year setter Jenna Meitzler and libero Jaimie Marquardt showed early promise taking over for the standout duo.

Meitzler finished the weekend with 120 assists and seven kills on 22 attempts (0.70 kills pers set). Despite the strong performance, Barnes said he thinks Metizler can be even more aggressive offensively — like Ammerall, who averaged 1.43 kills per set last year.

“She didn’t really display it this weekend as much,” Barnes said. “She’s really focused on getting her hitters going. … I got to remind her to get back to it. I gave her offensive game a C because she’s been playing at an A in practice. She’s learned a lot of different things tyo make the defense think about her.

“But, she really did a great job. Both middles hit .500 for the weekend. Hallie hit .500. So, that’s a lot of good setting.”

As for Marquardt, the Libertyville, Illinois native finished with 48 digs to exit week one as the Big Ten leader in digs per set (4.8).

“She had a great weekend,” Barnes said. “Just put up big time numbers … She’s been working her tail off, and no one wants it more than her or has worked harder than her. It’s a good sign. She’s been practicing that way. It’s good to see it in real matches show up that way. She’s a big part of what we do.

“Her and Jenna together, I always say you’re as good as your setters and your liberos. How consistent are they is how consistent you’ll win and both of them are very reliable.”

Up Next: Iowa returns to action with matches against Mississippi State (Thursday, 7 p.m.) and Alabama (Friday, 2 p.m.) in Starkville, Mississippi as part of the Big Ten/SEC Challenge. Both matches will be broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network.

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