Iowa volleyball played its most complete match of the season Wednesday night at No. 5 Purdue, but ultimately fell short, 3-2.

The Hawkeyes dropped to 0-5 in conference play and 6-10 on the season. Four of Iowa’s five conference losses have come against opponents currently ranked in the top 15 nationally.

The Boilermakers are now 5-0 in conference play and 14-1 overall, marking their best start since a 14-0 start in 2011.

How it happened

Iowa started out hot in the first set, jumping out to a 4-0 lead. Purdue fought back and took the lead, 8-7. The Hawkeyes got down as much as five, but a 7-1 run led by fifth-year senior Amiya Jones tied it at 19. Purdue eventually pulled away, winning the first set 25-23.

Purdue took a 5-4 advantage in the second set, but the Hawkeyes would score 11 of the next 13 points. A kill by sophomore outside hitter Toyosi Onabanjo gave Iowa its biggest lead of the set, 15-7. A service ace from redshirt senior setter Lily Tessier sealed the set for Iowa, 25-17.

Hawks swoop in during Set 2! 🤌@IowaVolleyball x @B1GVolleyball pic.twitter.com/JNnsRSdYuj

— Iowa On BTN (@IowaOnBTN) October 5, 2022

The third set was even until two aces by Jones and a kill by junior outside hitter Audrey Black propelled the Hawkeyes to a 10-7 lead. Purdue continued to answer Iowa runs, tying it up at 20 apiece. The Boilermakers ended the set strong and won, 25-21.

The Hawkeye offense was connecting well in the fourth set, hitting .368 with 18 kills. It was tied 16-16, but back-to-back points by Iowa forced a Purdue timeout. The Hawkeyes kept the momentum as they jumped out to a 22-16 lead. Purdue crawled back to make it a one-point game, but a kill by sophomore outside hitter Michelle Urquhart sealed the set for Iowa, 25-23.

Going to 5 against No. 5! 😤@IowaVolleyball x @NCAAVolleyball pic.twitter.com/vm8dRKD3mc

— Iowa On BTN (@IowaOnBTN) October 6, 2022

Purdue took the lead early in the fifth set and Iowa couldn’t shift the momentum. The Boilermakers took the set, 15-9, winning the match.

Several Hawkeye contributors

Three different Hawkeyes recorded double-digit kills. Jones registered 12 kills and led both teams with a .500 hitting efficiency and 22 total points. Jones also matched her career and season-high with seven service aces and recorded five blocks, helping the team to a season-high 11 aces and 14 blocks.

VanderWeide tied her career-high with 14 kills, hitting .462 while tallying three blocks. Urquhart recorded 10 kills and a career-high 17 digs while registering three blocks.

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Black recorded a season-high eight kills while hitting .350 with one block.

Tessier led the team with 25 assists while junior setter Bailey Ortega recorded a season-high 22 assists.

Redshirt freshman libero Sydney Dennis started her first match of the season versus the Boilermakers and recorded six digs and one assist.

The Hawkeye defense held the Boilermakers to a .189 hitting percentage— Purdue’s lowest mark since facing their lone loss in No. 4 Louisville. Boilermaker freshman Eva Hudson, who leads the Big Ten with 5.06 kills per set, was held to a .192 hitting efficiency on the night, marking her lowest of the season.

Junior middle hitter Delaney McSweeney led Iowa with seven blocks while senior libero Mari Hinkle led the Hawkeyes with 23 digs.

What’s next?

The Hawkeyes turn their focus to a rematch with Indiana on Saturday inside Xtream Arena. Match time is set for 2 p.m. and will air on BTN+.

The Hoosiers swept the Hawkeyes in the first matchup on Sept. 28 in Bloomington, Indiana. Despite the loss on Wednesday night, Iowa is hungry for a breakthrough.

“I think the girls are going to come back with a lot of intensity [vs Indiana on Saturday] because of how poorly we played at their place,” head coach Jim Barnes said. “I know we’ll be there to fight hard and play hard.”