How to Watch No. 1 Nebraska Volleyball vs. Iowa with Preview, Breakdown, TV Channel

It appears that the No. 1 Nebraska Volleyball team are human after all.

Steamrolling the competition in what has been one of the most dominant regular seasons in college volleyball history, NU's 48-set winning streak and run of 15 consecutive sweeps came to an end in a 3-1 victory over UCLA as the Bruins took a 25-19 set three victory to halt the Huskers. Nebraska bounced back in quick fashion, taking care of UCLA 25-15 in the fourth to move to 25-0.

Two days later, the Huskers made their way to USC and crushed the red-hot Trojans with a sweep in front of a school-record crowd of 9,072 at the Galen Center, which was topped against UCLA with 10,498 at Pauley Pavilion for another record-breaking weekend.

Coming off a three-match road swing that saw NU visit Minnesota and L.A., the Huskers return home to take on their neighboring state rival. Here's all you need to know as Nebraska faces Iowa Thursday night at John Cook Arena.

How to Follow Along

Matchup: No. 1 Nebraska (26-0, 16-0 B1G) vs. Iowa (14-14, 5-11 B1G)
When: Thursday, November 20.
Where: John Cook Arena at Bob Devaney Sports Center, Lincoln, Neb.
Time: 7 p.m. CST
Watch: FS1
Listen: Huskers Radio Network and Affiliates

Iowa Scout

Head Coach

2024 Finish

Did not qualify for the postseason.

2024 Record & Awards

10-22 (4-16 B1G, 16th) | No all-conference awards.

All-Time Series

Nebraska leads 40-0 (Nov. 20, 2024, last matchup, 3-0 NU)

Iowa's Claire Ammeraal has become one of the Big Ten's most dynamic setters. | Iowa Athletics

Key Returners

Hannah Whittingstall | MB | Jr. | Returning starter at middle blocker who ranks third on the team with 292.5 points and a team-high 124 blocks, which is 47 more than her closest teammate.
Jenna Meitzler | S | Soph. | Led Iowa in assists as a true freshman, but has been demoted to a serving sub in her sophomore season.
Claire Ammeraal | S | Sr. | Former Central Michigan transfer who's become one of the most dynamic setters in the conference with 9.60 assists per set alongside 155 kills, 73 blocks, and 253 digs.
Gabby Deery | OH | Jr. | Returning outside hitter who was one of six players to reach triple-digit kills last season, but has taken a back seat to other players in 2025.
Aleksandra Stojanovic | MB | Soph. | Did not see action as a freshman in 2024, but has broken out to post a team-high .359 hitting percentage with 77 blocks.

Former Iowa opposite Malu Garcia transferred back home after leading the Hawkeyes in points as a true freshman. | Iowa Athletics

Key Departures

Michelle Urquhart | OH | Graduated | Iowa's second leading point scorer (325.5), who also led the Hawkeyes with 43 aces in 2024.
Gracie Gibson | MB | Graduated | Second on Iowa in points while ranking second with 106 blocks.
Malu Garcia | OPP | Transfer | Went back home to play for Hawai'i Hilo after leading the Hawkeyes with 331 points as a true freshman in the Big Ten.
Dominique Phills | OH | Transfer | Now at Cal after collecting 2.06 kills per set in 25 matches as a true freshman last season.
Joy Galles | L | Graduated | Veteran leader who paced Iowa with 3.73 digs per set and 444 total digs in her final college volleyball season.

Impact Transfers/Newcomers

Chard'e Vanzandt | OH | Gr. | First Team All-SoCon transfer from Chattanooga that's posted a team-leading 381 points with 337 kills and 24 aces, which is second on the team.
Carmel Vares | OH | Fr. | 6-foot-3 Estonia native that ranks behind Vanzandt with 319.5 points and 288 kills.
Milana Moisio | L | Sr. | Miami transfer that's now the starting libero and leads Iowa with 3.60 digs per set (410 total).

Outlook

Jim Barnes took over one of the most downtrodden programs in the country with Iowa starting in 2022. After three seasons of bouncing between single and double-digit victories, Baylor's all-time wins leader has Iowa with its most wins (14) since 2016, when they went 19-13.

The Hawkeyes lost their top three options over the offseason as the team's point leader and true freshman opposite Malu Garcia got homesick and returned to Hawaii to be closer to family. Michelle Urquhart — who was second on the team in points — graduated, and leading middle blocker Gracie Gibson (106 blocks) also exhausted her eligibility.

Chard'e Vanzandt leads Iowa in points after being a First Team All-SoCon pick at Chattanooga in 2024. | Iowa Athletics

That's allowed for the emergence of returning middle blocker Hannah Whittingstall, whose 124 blocks are tied for third-most in the conference while ranking third on the team in points. Then there's do-it-all setter and former Central Michigan transfer Claire Ammeraal, who's averaging 9.60 assists per set, while pouring in 140 kills and 73 blocks as a dynamic athlete for Iowa at the position.

Barnes had to dip into the portal for some help, which came in the form of 2025 point leader Chard'e Vanzandt, whose team-leading 381 points are made up of 337 kills, 35 blocks, and 24 aces. Estonian true freshman Carmel Vares has been stellar as well, with 319.5 points (second on the team) in her first season playing in the U.S.

Despite a 5-11 conference mark, this is one of the better Iowa teams in recent memory — even if the bar isn't too high. Losing three of its last four, Iowa has pushed many teams to the brink, which includes five-set thrillers against No. 20 Minnesota and No. 18 Indiana. Expect Nebraska to move to 41-0 all-time versus the Hawkeyes Thursday night.

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