DES MOINES, Iowa – Drake guards Abbie Aalsma and Anna Becker both garnered weekly conference awards after starting the 2025-26 season on the right foot. Aalsma picked up the first MVC Player of the Week award while Becker was named MVC Freshman of the Week.

Aalsma opened the season on fire, averaging 22.5 points, 3.0 assists, and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 55 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range. She tallied 22 points with three assists in a win at Eastern Illinois and followed with 23 points and three rebounds against Creighton, pacing the Bulldogs’ offense in both contests.

Becker made an immediate impact in her collegiate debut, averaging 13.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while shooting 50% from the floor. Becker scored 22 points with seven rebounds and 10 made free throws in a season-opening win at Eastern Illinois, then added five points and six boards against Creighton.

UIC’s Jessica Carrothers, a Butler and IU Northwest transfer, collected MVC Newcomer of the Week honors.

Aalsma, Becker, and the Bulldogs will be at No. 21 Iowa on Thursday before returning home to battle No. 14 Iowa State next week.

The UNI wrestling team will start its season one week later than expected. Travel issues prevented the Panthers from even getting to Pennsylvania for the Journey Wrestling Collegiate Classic. UNI coach Doug Schwab.

Schwab says they got as far as Charlotte before eventually returning to Cedar Rapids.

UNI will open the National Duals on Saturday morning in Tulsa, Oklahoma, against seventh ranked North Carolina State.

Northern Iowa football coach Todd Stepsis says the Panthers must eliminate foolish penalties as they prepare to visit top ranked North Dakota State. UNI is coming off its first Missouri Valley win 31-14 over Murray State, but in that game had eight penalties for 85 yards.

Stepsis says foolish penalties and mistakes will be difficult to overcome against the Bison.

North Dakota State quarterback Cole Payton has passed for more than 21 hundred yards and rushed for more than 700.

Stepsis says he was happy to see his team rewarded with a first conference win.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The University of Iowa women’s tennis team wrapped up play at the ITA Sectional Championships on Sunday at the Mitchell Tennis Center.

Senior Daianne Hayashida competed against Violeta Martinez of Texas A&M in the playoff 5-8 bracket, falling 6-4, 6-2, after a competitive effort.

The Hawkeyes will return to action at the Notre Dame Invitational in South Bend, Indiana, from Nov. 14-16.

Singles – Playoff 5-8
Violeta Martinez (Texas A&M) def. Daianne Hayashida (Iowa), 6-4, 6-2

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Hawkeyes (14-5) will travel to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to face Duke on November 14 at 1:30 p.m. in the Sweet 16. The game will be played at Karen Shelton Stadium and streamed on ESPN+.

“We are so excited for the postseason,” said head coach Lisa Cellucci. “This group has grown through every challenge and they have earned the right to still be playing. To reach our 29th NCAA Sweet Sixteen is incredibly meaningful, to our team, our athletic department, our alumni, and everyone who’s poured into this program. We are grateful, we are locked in, and we are ready for more.”

Iowa will also be in a pod with No. 1 national seed North Carolina and Duke. St. Joseph and Drexel meet on November 12 for a chance to move on to face the Tar Heels. The two winners will play on November 16 for a spot in the Final Four.

The Sweet 16 appearance is the seventh for the Hawkeyes under Cellucci. Iowa’s 29 appearances are the most of any school as a member of the Big Ten Conference.

Duke is 12-7 overall and finished 4-4 in ACC play in 2025. The Blue Devils advanced to the semifinal game of the ACC Tournament before falling to North Carolina, 5-2.

It will be the 10th meeting all-time between Iowa and Duke (Duke leads the series 6-3). The teams last met in the 2019 Sweet 16 with Iowa winning 3-2.

The Drake women never led in an 83-74 loss at home to Creighton. The Bulldogs trailed by 14 points in the third quarter before rallying to within four in the final quarter.

That’s Drake coach Allison Pohlman. The Bulldogs fall to 1-1.

The 21st ranked Iowa Hawkeye women outscored Evansville 29-10 in the opening quarter and posted a record breaking 119-43 victory in Iowa City. The 119 points are the most in program history as well as the 76 point margin of victory. Iowa coach Jan Jensen.

That is when the Hawkeyes host Drake. Jensen felt the Hawkeyes set the tone on defense.

Transfer point guard Chit-Chat Wright had a double-double with 16 points and 10 assists.

Transfer guard Tristan Smith led the way with 16 points as the UNI men claimed a hard fought 65-58 win over South Dakota State. The Panthers improve to 2-0.

Smith joined the Panthers after playing at Concordia of Nebraska.

The 14th ranked Iowa State women raced out to a 32-14 lead at the end of one and crushed Sacred Heart 99-34 in Hilton Coliseum. Audi Crooks led the way with 21 points while reserve forward Lilly Taulelei added 10 as the Cyclones outscored Sacred Heart in the paint 52-14.

Taulelei says the tone is set for interior play ion practice.

A total of 13 players saw action as ISU improved to 3-0.

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The University of Iowa women’s tennis team continued competition at the ITA Sectional Championships on Saturday at the Mitchell Tennis Center.

Senior Daianne Hayashida battled Zuzanna Kubacha of Baylor in singles quarterfinals, but ultimately fell, 6-4, 6-1.

Hayashida will return to action tomorrow, competing in the playoff 5-8 bracket. Play begins at 8 a.m.

Singles – Quarterfinals
Zuzanna Kubacha (Baylor) def. Daianne Hayashida (Iowa), 6-4, 6-1.