Iowa volleyball kept rolling this week, and the Hawkeyes have now built something that looks a lot like real momentum.
After a perfect 3-0 weekend against West Florida, Texas Tech, and Central Arkansas, Iowa came home and handled Milwaukee in four sets at Xtream Arena in Coralville. The Hawkeyes shook off a slow start after dropping the opener, then took control with a 25-20, 25-22, 25-17 run to finish off their fourth straight win.
The defense was the backbone of it all, producing a season-high 18.5 blocks. At the net and beyond it, Iowa got impact from everywhere: Liv Morgridge finished with 16 kills, Hannah Whittingstall posted a .625 hit percentage, and Jenna Meitzler handed out 50 assists.
The win moved Iowa to 11-3, the program’s best record since 2006.
The Hawkeyes also got clarity on a big football date coming up on the calendar. Iowa’s matchup with Ohio State on Saturday, October 3, will kick off at 2:30 p.m.
Central Time and air on CBS. That game will be played at Kinnick Stadium, and it comes after Ohio State hosts Illinois in week four.
Iowa, meanwhile, is set to head to Michigan for its week-four road game before turning around to face the Buckeyes. The matchup already carries some weight, especially with Ohio State sitting on one loss after falling to Texas in week two.
And if Iowa can knock off Michigan, the Ohio State visit could land as a top-15 showdown.
On the individual honors front, Jayden Montgomery picked up major recognition for his work on and off the field. The fifth-year linebacker was named a semifinalist for the William V.
Campbell Trophy, which goes annually to the nation’s top scholar-athlete. To qualify, candidates must be seniors or graduate players in their final year of eligibility, hold at least a 3.2 GPA, show strong football production as a first-team or solid contributor, and demonstrate leadership and citizenship.
Jack Campbell was the first Iowa athlete to win the award in 2022, and Montgomery now has a shot to join him. The NFF will name 12-16 finalists on October 21, with each finalist receiving an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship.
The winner will be announced in December and will get a $25,000 postgraduate scholarship.
In Other News...
Braeden Jackson Just Added To Iowas Walk-On Tradition
Braeden Jacksons name already carries some football weight in Iowa circles, and now the walk-on running back has given Hawkeye fans another reminder of why that tradition still resonates. In a notable game, he flashed the kind of burst and versatility that can turn a roster afterthought into a real storyline, piling up 125 rushing yards, adding 24 more as a receiver and finding the end zone twice.
It fits the family history, too. Jackson is the son of Fred Jackson, the former Coe College standout who went from unrecruited long shot to a nine-season NFL career with the Buffalo Bills, and Braeden followed a similarly determined path after a strong high school career as both a football player and track star. He chose to walk on at Iowa in part because of his fathers connection to the coaching staff, and performances like this only deepen the sense that the Hawkeyes may have found another name worth remembering. [Read more 🡒]
Braeden Jackson Just Made Iowas Backfield Picture A Lot Tougher
Braeden Jackson turned a lopsided afternoon into something worth watching for Iowa. In the Hawkeyes 55-0 win over Northern Iowa, the second-year running back piled up 125 rushing yards and scored two touchdowns, continuing the kind of steady rise that has made him easy to notice in a crowded backfield. A preferred walk-on who arrived in December 2024, Jackson has been one of the quieter development stories on the roster, but his progress has been hard to miss.
What stands out most is how much cleaner and more complete his game looks now. Iowa quarterback Hank Brown and head coach Kirk Ferentz have both pointed to Jacksons improved awareness and physical development, and his background helps explain why he keeps trending up. As the son of former NFL running back Fred Jackson, he has had the benefit of football knowledge at home, and it is starting to show on the field in a way that could make the Hawkeyes backfield even harder to sort out. [Read more 🡒]
Ferentz Sends Iowa Fans A Promising Message Before Michigan Test
Iowa is heading into its first Big Ten game of the season with a familiar kind of test waiting on the other side, and Kirk Ferentz spent part of the buildup offering a reassuring look at his roster. The Hawkeyes are set to face No. 18 Michigan on Sept. 26, and Ferentz said the recovery process is moving in the right direction for several key players, including Kamari Moulton and Bryce Hawthorne, as the team tries to get healthier at an important point on the schedule.
The matchup itself brings the bigger challenge, of course, and Ferentz made clear that Iowa will need its defense locked in against a Michigan offense led by quarterback Bryce Underwood. For a Hawkeyes team trying to open conference play on solid footing, the combination of improved health and a stern test against a ranked opponent gives this week a little extra weight, even before the game kicks off. [Read more 🡒]