The Basics
The Drake University volleyball team will face two in-state foes in Iowa State and Iowa as well as Wright State in the Cardinal & Gold Challenge at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa. The Bulldogs will battle Iowa State on Wednesday night (Sept. 7) at 6:30 p.m. before a day off in between its Friday match with Wright State (Sept. 9) at 4 p.m. Drake will conclude play in the Cardinal & Gold Challenge against Iowa at 2 p.m. on Saturday (Sept. 10).
 
Hampton Inn Invitational Champs
Drake only dropped one set to win the Hampton Inn Invitational hosted by IUPUI Sept. 2-3. The Bulldogs defeated Montana, IUPUI and Saint Francis en route to the tournament victory for Drake's first tournament title since winning the Jackrabbit Classic at South Dakota State Sept. 17-18, 2021
 
Haley Bush Doing Haley Bush Things
Bush helped Drake sweep Montana on Sept. 2 with 11 kills and 14 digs. She came off the bench in the final two sets with nine kills and six digs to finish a 3-1 match victory over Saint Francis to seal the Hampton Inn Invitational victory. For her efforts, Bush was named Hampton Inn Invitational tournament MVP.
 
Here Comes the Boom
The Bulldogs lead the Missouri Valley Conference in blocks per set (2.59) as a team. Junior middle blocker Kacie Rewerts recorded 11 total blocks over two matches at the Hampton Inn Invitational (5.5 blocks per match, 1.6 blocks per set).
 
Rewerts had five blocks (four block assists, one solo) in the sweep of IUPUI on Sept. 3 and she followed that performance with six block assists in a win over Saint Francis in the tournament finale. She currently ranks second in the MVC with 1.29 blocks per set only behind her teammate Ashlynn Kuhn (1.33 per set).
 
Strong Starts
Drake volleyball has started with a record of at least 5-1 through the first six matches of the season in seven of the 10 seasons Darrin McBroom has been head coach.
 
Scouting Iowa State
The Cyclones are off to a 2-4 start this season after falling to No. 21 Penn States (3-1) and getting by swept by LSU at the Tiger Challenge in Baton Rouge, La., on Sept. 2. Iowa State bounced back with a five-set victory over Troy in the Tiger Challenge finale (Sept. 3).
 
Senior outside hitter Eleanor Holthaus paces the Cyclones with 82 kills (3.42 kills per set) followed by Western Illinois transfer Mariah Mitchell, a senior outside hitter with 53 kills (2.30 kills per set). Sophomore defensive specialist Brooke Stonestreet has recorded 83 digs so far (3.46 digs per set). Junior middle blocker Alexis Engelbrecht (27.0 total blocks) and Mitchell (21.0 total blocks) are the main presences at the net for Iowa State.
 
Christy Johnston-Lynch has been the head coach of Cyclone volleyball since 2005 with an overall record of 332-183.
 
Series History vs. Iowa State
Iowa State leads the all-time series, 38-20 with Drake's last win coming on Oct. 4, 1999 in Ames. The Bulldogs claimed the third set last season, 25-23, but lost the match 3-1 to open the 2021 campaign.

Scouting Wright State
One of the top teams in the Horizon League, Wright State is off to a 5-0 start after winning both the Marshall Invitational and the Western Michigan Invitational. The Raiders have defeated MVC members Evansville (3-1) and Indiana State (3-1) already this season.  
 
The duo of senior right side Callie Martin (66 kills over 19 sets for 3.47 kills per set) and  junior outside hitter Sam Ott (65 kills over 19 sets for 3.42 kills per set) lead a potent offense. Fifth year setter Lainey Stephenson has dished out 183 assists (12.20 assists per set). Aliyah Byers has sent back 20 attacks (19 block assists, 1 solo block).
 
Travers Green enters his first season as the head coach at Wright State after spending the past four seasons as associate head coach at Mississippi State.

Series History vs. Wright State
First meeting in program history.

Scouting Iowa
The Hawkeyes are 2-3 on the year after back-to-back losses in straight sets at the Pac 12/Big Ten Challenge to No. 14 Washington and Colorado Sept. 3-4.
 
Michelle Urguhart leads a balanced Iowa attack with 47 kills this season (2.94 kills per set). Amiya Jones isn't far behind with 37 kills thus far (2.31 kills per set). Lilly Tessier facilitates the offense with 160 assists (10 assists per set).  
 
Jim Barnes was hired as the Iowa head volleyball coach on December 28, 2021. He arrived in Iowa City from Tulane where he was the head coach from 2016-21. Prior to Tulane, Barnes was at the helm of Baylor volleyball from 2004-15. Barnes carries a 457-348 coaching record into the weekend.
 
Series History vs. Iowa
The Hawkeyes lead the all-time series, 13-3 with the last Drake victory occurring on Sept. 14, 2010, in five sets inside the Knapp Center. Iowa won the last meeting in straight sets back on Sept. 8, 2018.

Up Next
The Bulldogs will head to the Green Bay Invite for four matches Sept. 16-17 against SIUE, host Green Bay, North Dakota and Western Illinois.