It was an impressive weekend for Iowa Olympic sports. Undefeated weekends for soccer and volleyball made it too hard to pick just one to spotlight this week, so for the first time we've got a co-spotlight this week.

Let's take a look.

#18 Iowa soccer (9-0-3, 4-0-1) picked up two more conference victories last week, beating #15 Penn State (9-3-1, 3-2) and Northwestern (5-6-2, 0-4-1) by matching 2-1 scores, pushing their school record undefeated streak to 12 games.

The Hawkeyes started the week with a huge Thursday night win against a tough Nittany Lion squad. Penn State stunned the Hawks in the opening minute, scoring a goal on their first shot of the game. Undeterred, the Hawkeyes responded with an equalizer just three minutes later from Sophia Bush. Bush chased down a loose ball and unleashed a one-time curler that beat the keeper and slotted into the far corner.

The Hawkeyes settled in as the half continued, controlling the midfield and ultimately dicing up the Penn State defense to score a second first-half goal in the 30th minute. Maya Hansen put the ball into the back of the net with an impressive sliding shot with the outside of her foot after a beautiful build-up from Reilee Fetty and Meike Ingles.

From there, it was time for the Iowa defense to shine. The Hawkeyes didn't allow a shot in the second half, never letting the Nittany Lions build momentum or generate scoring chances. In fact, Penn State only had two shots in the game.

Thursday's victory was tense but had nothing on Sunday's match against Northwestern. The Hawks and Wildcats played to a first-half stalemate. Neither team generated much in the way of offensive opportunities and the game hung in the balance as the second half started.

The Wildcats pushed forward early in the second half and the Hawkeyes committed a foul inside the box, giving Northwestern a penalty kick, which they converted to take the lead. As has been the case throughout the season, adversity for the Hawkeyes only made them stronger. Elle Otto tied the game for the Hawkeyes in short order, leaving her defender in the dust with a filthy cutback in the box before firing the ball into the back of the net.

With twenty minutes remaining, Iowa turned up the pressure, pushing for the winning goal. In the late stages, Iowa earned a corner kick and loaded the box with attackers. The Hawkeyes' first service was deflected out of bounds, as was the second.

On the third attempt, Lauren Greczik decided to take care of business herself, sending in an incredible Olimpico that found the back of the net without touching any other player, giving Iowa the lead with only two minutes remaining. The Hawkeye defense stood tall on a last-second Wildcat charge, giving the Hawkeyes a dramatic come-from-behind win.

This team's calling card has been its defense throughout the season, but the most impressive defending in last week's games came from the midfield. Against both the Nittany Lions and the Wildcats, the Hawkeyes swarmed in the midfield, often sending two or three players at the ball before opponents could settle and look forward.

The team created transition opportunities not by absorbing pressuring and countering, but by winning the ball back quickly after losing possession and catching opposing teams as they transitioned toward offense.

Combine the relentless midfield with one of the best goalkeepers in the country and an offense that has shown a flair for creating scoring opportunities out of nothing -- given the situation, Sunday's winning goal is one of the best I've ever seen -- and it's no surprise that the Hawks are now up to #7 in RPI and #11 in the latest polls.

This team is playing with a swagger that gives them confidence even when they fall behind and it's translated to their best conference start in program history and their longest undefeated streak since 2019.

Iowa gets a small rest during the upcoming week, but will host Indiana (6-4-1, 1-4) on Sunday (1:00, BTN+) as they look to continue one of the most exciting seasons in recent memory.

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Iowa volleyball (8-6, 2-0) started its conference slate with a pair of five-set wins, beating Rutgers (5-8, 0-2) and Maryland (9-4, 0-2) in thrilling matches. The two wins gave Iowa its first 2-0 record in conference since 2008 and already exceeds last year's conference win total.

The Hawks kicked off conference play on Thursday with a back-and-forth match against the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers took the opening set 25-22, but Iowa battled back to even the match at 1-1 with a 25-23 set two win.

Set three was a wild, deadlocked affair, featuring 16 ties, nine lead changes, and finally a 30-28 win for the Hawkeyes. Rutgers forced a fifth set, but Iowa took control of the deciding set early, jumping out to an 8-3 lead and riding that momentum to a 15-9 set and match win.

The young starters for the Hawkeyes came through in a huge way Thursday night. Malu Garcia stuffed the stat sheet, racking up 17 kills, 9 blocks, and 8 digs, narrowly missing her first triple-double. Jenna Meitzler was efficient commanding the offense from the setter spot with 51 assists and 10 digs of her own, while veterans Michelle Urqhardt (10 kills, 10 digs) and Joy Galles (23 digs) were a steady positive presence as the tension ramped up.

The Hawkeyes stuck to Rutgers whenever the Scarlet Knights threatened to pull away, avoiding any of the big deficits that plagued some of their early season losses. Iowa stayed calm and composed on the road against an opponent that included an all-conference hitter, going shot for shot all night.

The Hawks were back in action Sunday against Maryland and it was another tense match throughout. Iowa took the opening set 27-25 behind five aces and a .312 hitting percentage. The Terps answered back with a set two win and the Hawkeyes responded yet again, winning set three 25-23. The fourth set was 25-23 as well, this time going Maryland's way, but Iowa again came up clutch in the deciding fifth set, winning the set 15-13 to give them the match.

Urqhardt and sophomore Gabby Deery were stars through the match, with Urqhardt tallying 16 kills and 16 digs and Deery setting a career-best with 20 kills on a .410 hitting percentage. Urqhardt took over the court to close out the fifth set, notching three kills and a block to seal the match for the Hawkeyes.

These two wins are without a doubt the biggest of coach Jim Barnes' tenure at Iowa. Thursday's win marked Iowa's first conference win since 2022 and Sunday's victory pushed Iowa's record in five-set matches to 4-0 on the season. The team looked far more confident throughout both matches, refusing to let errors stack and lead to sets that are lost long before the opponents reach 25.

Instead, the underclassmen are looking more and more comfortable and there's no doubt these two wins will only continue to build that group's confidence. Malu Garcia's performance throughout the week was particularly impressive and earned her Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors.

The Hawkeyes will take a step up in competition this week, as they host #25 Washington (12-0, 2-0) on Friday before traveling to battle one of the best teams in the country in #2 Nebraska (12-1, 2-0) on Sunday

Iowa field hockey (5-3, 0-2) was upset by Rutgers (4-4) 3-2 in a shootout on Friday before bouncing back to beat Villanova (6-4) 2-0 on Sunday.

Friday's match against Rutgers was a heartbreaker for the Hawkeyes. The Scarlet Knights took the lead in the second quarter, but Hawkeye Dionne van Aalsum tied the match up with a penalty corner goal ten minutes later on a well-designed set.

Rutgers took the lead in the fourth and it looked like Iowa may fall in regulation, but Annika Herbine found a late equalizer for the Hawks that sent the game to overtime.

Two overtimes didn't produce an equalizer so the match went to a shootout, where the Hawkeyes ultimately fell 3-1. Rutgers controlled much of the game, with the Hawkeyes again being outshot in the match and fighting to create scoring opportunities. The more experienced teams in the country have seemingly found the game plan to stifle the Hawkeyes.

When the Hawks are pressed and facing an aggressive defensive group, they've struggled to string passes together to play out of the back. The Hawks were able to produce more on the offensive side this week than last, so the team is showing growth, but there is still a gap between this Hawkeye group and the high-powered offenses of years past.

Thankfully, Iowa was able to get right back on the field and they looked better Sunday against Villanova. The first half was slow, with neither team able to find the back of the net, but Gia Whalen put the Hawkeyes ahead early in the second half.

Lieve van Kessel extended Iowa's lead in the fourth quarter and Iowa's defense saw out the remainder of the match to seal the win. The Hawks outshot Villanova 8-7 in the match and Iowa's defense earned its fifth shutout of the year.

The #10 Hawkeyes will likely need an at-large bid to qualify for this year's NCAA tournament so every single win matters. Iowa will look to add two more to its win total when it hosts #15 Penn State (6-3) on Friday (5:00, BTN+) and #6 Maryland (5-3) on Sunday (12:00, BTN+).

Iowa women's golf is in first place after 36 holes at the Diane Thomason Invitational, leading the next-closest school by seven shots. The Hawks shot a 288 on Monday, their best round of the season. Paula Miranda leads the tournament after shooting 72 and 71 in her two Monday rounds.

Eight Hawkeyes set personal bests at the Gans Creek Classic last week. Brayden Burnett (23:59.7), Will Ryan (24:05.4), Carson Houg (24:49.5), Jaxson Plumb (25:00.4), and Armaan Chopra (25:34.3) all set personal bests on the men's side in the 8,000-meter while Elena Torres (21:07.4) and Clare Kelly (22:31.6) set personal bests on the women's side in the 6,000-meter race.

Torres, the top finisher for the Hawkeyes on the women's side, won Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors for her performance.