Iowa volleyball’s losing streak moved to seven consecutive matches Wednesday night, as the Hawkeyes were swept by No. 4 Wisconsin in Madison.

The Hawkeyes are also on a 13-set losing streak over their last five matches. The loss to the Badgers moves Iowa to 2-13 overall and 0-5 in the Big Ten.

Consistency continued to be the Achilles heel for the Hawkeyes, as Iowa finished the match with 10 service errors and 17 attack errors.

Wisconsin freshman outside hitter Julia Orzol led the way for the Badgers, registering a team-high 13 kills. Badger All-American Sydney Hilley efficiently facilitated the veteran Badger offense, tallying 40 assists in the three-set contest.

Iowa’s front row was efficient in limiting Wisconsin All-American Dana Rettke’s production, as she finished the match with only nine kills. 

Hawkeye freshman Addie VanderWeide fed off of her recent success, leading Iowa with 11 kills in the match. Senior middle blocker Amiya Jones’s presence was also felt by the Hawkeyes, as she finished with seven kills.

Senior libero Maddie Slagle provided a spark for Iowa, racking up 14 digs and fueling a rally late in the third set. The Hawkeyes ultimately lost the set, 28-26, and the match.

BIG PICTURE

Iowa has struggled offensively against Big Ten foes, and the Hawkeyes’ struggles continued against Wisconsin.

VanderWeide was the only Hawkeye with double-digit kills. As a team, Iowa hit .165 compared to Wisconsin’s .298.

The Hawkeyes’ setting game also struggled to convert passes, as sophomore Bailey Ortega and freshman Jenna Splitt combined for just 34 assists.

BUZZERIO BENCHED

Hawkeye senior outside hitter Courtney Buzzerio played off the bench Wednesday night for the first time this season.

Buzzerio’s double-digit kill streak ended against Michigan State last weekend, and the Hawkeye star has struggled in the past three matches.

In her past three matches, Buzzerio has only accumulated 24 combined kills.

UP NEXT

Iowa will face No. 6 Purdue on Saturday at Xtream Arena. The Boilermakers are 11-2 overall and 3-1 in Big Ten play heading into the match.

The Boilermakers’ No. 6 ranking is the highest in Purdue volleyball program history.

Purdue is led by All-American outside hitters Grace Cleveland and Caitlyn Newton.

As anchors for the Boilermakers veteran-heavy roster, Cleveland leads Purdue with 151 kills on the 2021 campaign, and Newton is second with 149.

The match will be played at 7 p.m. at Xtream Arena, and will be streamed on BTN+.