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58 Middle blocker Alessandra Dietz is one of 14 Hawkeye returnees. Last season she had 220 kills and team-highs in blocks (112) and service aces (26). "We're excited; people in the volleyball world that I know keep saying, 'Wow, you are so lucky, you have a great opportunity,'" Dietz said. "All I keep hearing is it is going to be a really bright future for Iowa volleyball." Shymansky has met the current Hawkeyes and he senses excitement and energy. "I asked them very specifically, 'What's your iden- tity? What are we building off ?" Shymansky said. "ey said work ethic. at's the supreme foun- dation. I have to work really hard to help this be successful, so do they, so does the administration. Everybody is going to work really hard, so that's a great place to start." e Big Ten is the strongest volleyball conference in the nation, as evidenced by the 2013 NCAA bracket. Eight league schools participated in the postseason with Penn State topping Wisconsin in the championship. Shymansky said playing in the Big Ten is a posi- tive, along with the facilities and people at the UI. "It's just going to take some tweaking, take some motivating, maybe some technical changing or system changing," he said. "I believe what I like to do as a coach will help us win." Shymansky and his wife, Iowa City native Cath- erine (Cruikshank) Shymansky, have a daughter, Corrina and two sons, Nicholas and Bond, Jr.