It was a tough weekend in State College, Pennsylvania, for Iowa volleyball, where the Hawkeyes fell in straight sets to the Nittany Lions. Although Iowa was able to keep pace with Penn State early in each set, the Hawkeyes were hampered by errors.

Penn State has dominated the all-time series, with the Hawkeyes 0-54 against the Nittany Lions and Iowa never taking a set in any match.

Iowa kept the first match tight, including a three-point run midway through the middle of the set that got the Hawkeyes back into the match. However, Penn State would pull away with two blocks and an Iowa error to win the set comfortably, 25-19.

Brie Orr recorded her 3,000th career assist in the second set, with the junior just the seventh Hawkeye in program history to hit the milestone. The big moment got Iowa back within two at 7-5, but the momentum was lost quickly with Penn State rallying back to win the set with ease, 25-17.

The third set was much closer for the Hawkeyes, with two Courtney Buzzeiro kills giving Iowa an 8-7 lead early on in the third set. Both teams grew into the set, with many long rallies between the teams making for a nerve-racking final set for both sides. After a timeout with Iowa down 22-21, Penn State put the match out of hand with three kills to end the match.

Although Iowa had a similar number of kills as Penn State (37-40), the errors made the game out of reach. With a hitting percentage of just .165 compared to Penn State’s .422, Penn State was ultimately much more clinical.

Iowa’s Brie Orr led the Hawkeyes with 32 assists, and Courtney Buzzeiro once again lead the Hawkeyes with 13 kills. Hannah Clayton recorded seven kills and Halle Johnston notched 10 digs in the loss.

Although errors cost Iowa the match, there were several other areas of concern as well for the side.

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Penn State out blocked the Hawkeyes with ease, recording eight compared to a meager two from Iowa. The Nittany Lions also recorded seven aces compared to Iowa’s two, showing the domination of Penn State.

The loss drops Iowa to 7-7 on the season and 1-3 in Big Ten play, with a critical stretch next for the Hawkeyes if their postseason aspirations are to remain realistic. With five of Iowa’s next six opponents unranked, the possibility is there for a big winning streak.

Iowa begins the stretch this Friday with a match at Carver-Hawkeye Arena against the Michigan Wolverines, who are currently undefeated in Big Ten play.