Can Iowa volleyball turn ‘winning points’ into winning B1G matches?

Iowa Hawkeyes center hitter Delaney McSweeney (blond, proper) huddles with teammates throughout their Huge Ten Convention volleyball match towards the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Xtream Area in Coralville, Iowa, Friday, Nov. 18, 2022. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

IOWA CITY — Good luck discovering something at an Iowa volleyball observe that doesn’t have a rating.

“The entire observe is scored,” head coach Jim Barnes mentioned. “One thing’s on the road for all the pieces.”

The objective is to achieve as many “winner factors” as potential, which three managers tabulate on the aspect of the courtroom.

The winner of a drill may get a degree. If one aspect is hitting too many balls out, he may give “winner factors” to the opposing aspect for each ball hit out of bounds. The nearer somebody is to the factors chief, or the “queen,” the much less working they’ll need to do after observe.

“In order that competitors makes them do what I need them to do — hit much less balls out or get extra kills,” Barnes mentioned. “It’s probably the most good factor through the years I feel we’ve ever executed.”

The objective is to organize gamers for the competitiveness of matches contemplating Barnes has “by no means been in a recreation the place they don’t hold the rating.”

The successful factors in observe haven’t translated to successful matches within the Huge Ten, although, within the first yr of Barnes’ rebuild.

Iowa went 10-21 in 2022 and 4-16 in Huge Ten play. It was Iowa’s third consecutive 4-16 end within the convention.

The person who scores nearly all the pieces in observe has been making an attempt to look past the scoreboard in video games.

“All you see is these numbers within the public eye,” Barnes informed The Gazette, referencing the convention and total data. “There’s much more victories that they’re not seeing that we’re pleased with.”

Having “everyone pulling collectively” on a workforce with a number of new faces is an instance of the victories for Barnes that “don’t present on the scoreboard.”

Barnes particularly has pleasure in Iowa’s success in serve-pass.

“That’s one thing you don’t see on the stat sheet,” Barnes mentioned. “We beat nearly each workforce in serve-pass. … Coaches would come as much as me and go, ‘I can not consider you all simply beat us in serve-pass.’ … I’m going, ‘Properly, we’ve bought to win that since you’re going to win the block and kills.’”

Iowa had shut calls, taking No. 5 Purdue and No. 14 Penn State to 5 units. Purdue followers standing exterior Iowa’s locker room informed Barnes “we haven’t seen that from Iowa” as his workforce exited.

Iowa’s wins to shut the season towards Michigan and Michigan State confirmed the “actuality that the center of the league shouldn’t be actually that distant,” Barnes mentioned.

“Our subsequent step is attending to the center of the league,“ Barnes mentioned.

Had Iowa, ranked 133rd in RPI, not overwhelmed Michigan, Barnes is assured the Wolverines would have earned an NCAA berth.

However his Hawkeyes must win matches towards groups like Michigan and Michigan State frequently to take this system to the following stage. Iowa break up its matches towards last-place Rutgers and likewise suffered losses to Maryland and Northwestern.

“The gap isn’t so far as some individuals suppose, however you’ve nonetheless bought to get the expertise to do it persistently, and that’s what we’re engaged on,“ Barnes mentioned.

Barnes has turned to the switch portal to rapidly construct his roster.

In his first offseason in Iowa Metropolis, Barnes added seven transfers. He often doesn’t launch gamers from this system, he mentioned, though final yr fell below “extenuating circumstances.”

He’s energetic in pursuing gamers from the portal after the 2022 season as properly, asking present gamers to inform him this week whether or not they’re staying or aspiring to switch so he is aware of what number of scholarships he can provide.

However the switch portal has been a two-way road. Gamers Iowa misplaced amid the teaching change have discovered success elsewhere.

Courtney Buzzerio transferred from Iowa to Pittsburgh, the place she earned first-team all-ACC honors. Hannah Clayton transferred from Iowa to Purdue and, like Buzzerio, is enjoying on a workforce that may compete within the NCAA match this weekend.

“We downgraded in expertise total,” Barnes mentioned. “We have been capable of win extra (than the 2021 workforce) with much less expertise. Once more, that doesn’t present on any scoreboard. However we all know it, and the gamers comprehend it.”

Barnes sees the switch portal as a brief repair, not a everlasting resolution, for constructing a program. He truly shouldn’t be a fan of the portal in lots of circumstances.

“Usually I might say I don’t prefer it in any respect as a result of I feel it offers a child a simple street to greener pastures that they suppose exists,” Barnes mentioned. “Most of these youngsters don’t get the end result they have been pondering.”

However elevating a program that has not had an above-.500 end within the Huge Ten for the reason that Clinton administration doesn’t fairly classify as regular circumstances.

“Proper now it helps us to get an infusion of expertise we’d like immediately to get higher,” Barnes mentioned. “However total, I might not need that as a every day factor.”

What Barnes is making an attempt to do within the Huge Ten, probably the most aggressive volleyball convention within the nation, isn’t any small feat. Others have tried to revitalize this system and have been unsuccessful.

Iowa employed Sharon Dingman in 2008. Her Huge Ten report peaked in her first season, when Iowa went 6-14.

Bond Shymansky subsequent took on the problem of rebuilding Iowa after elevating a Marquette program that had by no means reached the NCAA Championships to the nationwide tournaments in three consecutive seasons and successful a Huge East title.

Shymansky’s Iowa groups peaked at a Sep 11 report in Huge Ten play, and Iowa fired him after he paid for a participant’s lease — an NCAA violation on the time that might now be avoidable with a reputation, picture and likeness deal from a booster.

Then Shymansky’s affiliate head coach, Vicki Brown, took over as head coach and had a 9-43 report in Huge Ten matches earlier than her midseason dismissal in 2021.

Brown was on the helm for two-and-a-half years, together with the yr affected by COVID-19 — the shortest stint for an Iowa volleyball head coach since 1990. It possible didn’t assist that she was taking on a program on NCAA probation.

Iowa’s athletics division management gave a vote of confidence in Barnes with a seven-year contract. Barnes is properly conscious, although, he can’t be “kicking my toes up.”

“If we don’t do the job, we’re not going to be right here for seven years,” Barnes mentioned. “If we don’t present enchancment, if we don’t get higher, we received’t be right here.”

The successful factors from Barnes’ practices additionally is usually a metaphor for the offseason. After Iowa’s 4-12 Huge Ten end, Barnes is the one needing to take additional laps on the recruiting path now.

“We get higher athletes, not the blue-chippers but,” Barnes mentioned aspirationally. “However we get higher ones that may get us in that center pile, after which we’re having loads of followers, and we’re upsetting among the prime (applications). Now, I’m going to snare among the blue-chippers.”

Feedback: john.steppe@thegazette.com