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Copley graduate Izzy Callaway readies for first season with Akron Zips women's basketball
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- Copley graduate Izzy Callaway readies for first season with Akron Zips women's basketball
Copley High School graduate Izzy Callaway is part of a well-known Summit County sports family whose patriarch, John, played basketball and served as a team captain at Kent State University in the late 1990s.
Because of her father's KSU hoops history, Callaway's decision to transfer in March from Walsh University to the University of Akron and join the Zips women's basketball team has led to some comical moments. Theories about blood superseding rivalry have been tested.
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"My dad's a big Kent State guy, so it was kind of a hard pill for him to swallow at first," Callaway told the Beacon Journal during UA's recent 2025 Tipoff Reception at Rhodes Arena. "But, of course, he's my biggest supporter. So, right when we got here for our visit, he put on his Akron jacket, and it was a big joke for a while, but now he's starting to feel at home, too, I think."
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Copley guard Izzy Callaway takes the ball up the court against Aurora on Jan. 10, 2024, in Copley, Ohio.
Callaway's parents, Louisiana native John and Ellet High School graduate Angie, met at Kent State. In addition to Izzy, the couple have two sons. Jackson is a standout senior wide receiver and defensive back at Archbishop Hoban High School who returned an interception for a touchdown to seal a Week 10 win over St. Edward . Jameson plays several sports and attends Copley-Fairlawn Middle School, where John is the associate principal.
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Now the family is going to have a father-daughter tandem with Mid-American Conference basketball experience. The Akron women are scheduled to open their 2025-26 season at South Alabama at 8 p.m. Nov. 3.
"From a basketball standpoint and then just a life standpoint, he's taught me so much, and he's always been by my side through everything," Callaway said of her dad. "He doesn't really force me to do anything. He's not controlling. He's just there for me. He's going to support any decision I make, and that's just so nice to have."
Copley senior Izzy Callaway takes her turn cutting down the net after a victory over Bryan in a Division II regional final March 8, 2024, in Mansfield, Ohio.
The decision to transfer from Division II Walsh to Akron stems from Callaway's longtime goal to play Division I college basketball.
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"I wanted to take that leap," she said. "When I decided to go into the transfer portal, I think Akron was actually the first school to offer me. Coach [Ryan] Gensler called me within 10 minutes of me being in the portal. Then right then and there, the whole coaching staff was in the room for that call for my offer. I could just tell that it was a real connection. They cared about me."
A 5-foot-7 combo guard, Callaway explained she received other offers, but she visited Akron and became convinced it was the right fit.
Izzy Callaway, right, defends for Copley High School.
As a freshman last season with Walsh, Callaway started 14 of the 28 games in which she appeared and averaged 14.2 points on 47.6% shooting from the field (35.4% on 3-pointers), 1.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 27.8 minutes. She made the All-Great Midwest Athletic Conference second team and established herself as a coveted target of the Zips.
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"We knew that we needed better guard play," Gensler said. "We needed depth at the guard position, and we needed someone who is cerebral. Credit the staff. We went through all of Division III, Division II, NAIA and JUCO and had a formula of things that we looked for and a filter, if you will, to do that. She was one of nine freshmen in the country to fill that role. So, whether she was at Walsh or whether she was at a school in California, we were calling her.
"As much as it is a feel-good story locally, we called on kids in Washington, we called on kids in Florida, and it just so happened that we were like, 'OK, well, maybe she wants to [come to Akron]. Dad went to Kent, but can she overlook some of those things?' What a remarkable family, what a supportive family and what an awesome career she had in high school. I think it will be really exciting for the local community to get behind a kid like that."
Copley's Izzy Callaway looks to pass as Field's McKayla Miller defends in district semifinal against Field in 2024.
Callaway is expected to play on and off the ball for the Zips, who went 10-21, including 4-14 in the MAC, during an injury-plagued 2024-25 season.
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"She's got to be a scorer for us," Gensler said. "She's got to be a threat on the court. She shoots it remarkably well. She's got an incredible IQ. She's one of the hardest-working players that I've ever been around, so you want that to pay off for that kid. I never want her to second-guess anything. I want her to confidently play. She belongs here. She belongs as a very good player in this league and in this program, and she continues to develop."
Gensler said he is encouraged by "little lightbulbs" going off for Callaway as she navigates a learning curve. He is also impressed by her attitude and effort as a defender.
"She's tough as nails, so she's not afraid to take a charge," Gensler said. "She's not afraid to get physical 15 feet and under around the basket. That's a credit to her and her personality."
Akron women's basketball: Copley graduate Izzy Callaway transfers to Zips from Walsh
Archbishop Hoban's Izzy Callaway collides with Green's Madi Pukansky during the third quarter of the Knights' 73-39 win.
Callaway said competing is part of "being a Callaway." When Callaway was in high school (she spent two years at Hoban before attending Copley), she threw passes to her eldest brother to help him train for football. He returned the favor by aiding her during basketball workouts.
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"He may be able to outrun me on a good day, but I can definitely outshoot him," she said with a laugh.
Akron is thrilled to welcome Callaway's talent and competitive fire — even with Kent State basketball's presence on her family tree.
Nate Ulrich is the sports columnist of the Akron Beacon Journal and a sports features writer. Nate can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com . On Twitter: @ByNateUlrich .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Izzy Callaway impresses Akron Zips women's basketball after transfer
