Hawkeyes Working Hard to Keep Talent Home

Iowa Volleyball Building Relationships with Top In-State Players

IOWA CITY, Iowa - Jim Barnes brought in nine newcomers to start his second season as Iowa’s volleyball coach.

Six are freshmen, and of that group two of them — outside hitter Gabby Deery and libero Olivia Lombardi — are in-state recruits.

And as Barnes builds his program, one of his main goals is keeping the best players at home in a state full of volleyball talent.

“We’ve got to get the best ones to stay,” Barnes said at the team’s media day on Saturday at Xtream Arena. “We’re fighting for them. That 2025 class, we’ve been recruiting hard, and we’re right there with the top kids in the state. There’s a lot of talent in the region, and they’ll always be the core of the team.”

Three of the top seven teams in the AVCA preseason rankings are neighboring Big Ten rivals — Wisconsin (No. 2), Nebraska (No. 5) and Minnesota (No. 7). Illinois and Iowa State received votes.

That’s a lot of competition for the top players. But what Barnes hopes is the foundation he’s building now will help build relationships that will pay off in later years.

“You’ve got to fight, and you’ve got to treat the players well, and that’s what’s helping us right now,” Barnes said.

Barnes’ rebuild is not going to be an easy task. Iowa went 10-21 last season, 4-16 in the Big Ten. Six conference teams are in the preseason rankings. And then comes next year, when USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington come into the conference. Of those four, Oregon and USC are in this year’s rankings, with Washington receiving votes.

“It’s a process of building it,” Barnes said. “It doesn’t come overnight. You bring in the best players that fit your system, and you get to work. How many wins that’s going to equal this season, I have no idea. But we know what we can control and what we will control.”

Barnes lost Amaya Jones, the team leader with 280 kills, from last season. Outside hitter Michelle Urquhart, with 271 kills, is back, as is Delaney McSweeney, who had 195 kills.

“On paper, we’re behind,” Barnes said. “We lose AJ, our kill leader. We lose some other players who were productive. So on paper, we’re behind last year.

“But when you walk into the gym and watch us train, we’re much further ahead because the team understands our system, and we have more depth.”

Deery is one of the more heralded freshmen in the recruiting class. She led Burlington Notre Dame High School to two Iowa Class 1A state championships, and was the 1A state player of the year the last two seasons.

Her decision to come to Iowa was simple, she said.

“I’ve always wanted to play at the highest level of volleyball,” Deery said. “It’s close to home. Great program, great coaches. It all worked out for me.

“I’m super excited for what Coach Barnes has in store for our team. He has great goals for us, and I know we can fulfill those goals.”

Barnes says his team “has a little edge to them.” It’s a feistiness the Hawkeyes will need in one of the strongest conferences in the nation, one that is only going to get more difficult.

It’s why Barnes knows he has to find the right players to fit the program, and keep the best players in the state from going elsewhere.

“That’s how you’re going to catch them,” he said. “There’s no magic pill, no shortcut. We work hard, just like we ask our players to.”Hawk