The Iowa women’s volleyball team continues to struggle in Big Ten play.
With losses to Michigan and Michigan State over the weekend, the Hawkeyes remain the only team in the Big Ten without a conference win. They are currently on a 14-game losing streak.
Iowa vs. Michigan
Iowa was swept by Michigan, 3-0, in Ann Arbor on Friday.
Hawkeye first-year outside hitter Gabby Deery posted eight kills, while fourth-year outside hitter Delaney McSweeney followed up with seven kills. Second-year libero Harlei Cole led the Hawkeyes with 17 digs. Fourth-year setter Bailey Ortega set up her teammates with 19 assists.
Ortega kicked things off in the first set with an assist to McSweeney for the Hawkeyes’ first point. The Wolverines gained and held a small advantage until Iowa retained the lead, 14-13. A failed kill handed the lead back to Michigan, and the Wolverines maintained it for the rest of the set. Michigan scored four unanswered points to close the set, 25-20.
Two attack errors by McSweeney put the Hawkeyes down, 3-1, early in the second set. Iowa stayed in it, eventually fighting back to tie the set at 11 apiece. The momentum stuck with Iowa up until the end of the set, as Michigan came back from a 23-20 deficit to win in overtime, 26-24.
Iowa took a 3-0 lead right out of the gate in the third set. But Michigan bounced back and went on an 8-1 run to take an 11-6 lead in the set. The Wolverines diminished the Hawkeyes’ hopes of making a comeback, closing out the set, 25-14, to complete the sweep.
Iowa vs. Michigan State
After the tough loss to Michigan, Iowa traveled from Ann Arbor to East Lansing to face Michigan State on Saturday. The Hawkeyes fell in three straight sets to the Spartans.
McSweeney and Deery led the team with eight kills each. Ortega was the lead distributor with 14 assists in the match.
Michigan State fell to a 7-3 deficit early in the first set. But the Hawkeyes fell apart, and the Spartans went on a 14-4 run through the rest of the set to win, 25-11.
Deery tallied a kill right away in the second set to put the first point on the board for Iowa. The Spartans came right back with their own score. Michigan State slowly extended the lead, going up, 17-11, halfway through the set. The Hawkeyes would go on a 10-5 run to cut their deficit to one. But once again, the Spartans went on a 4-1 run to take the set, 25-21.
The third set was a back-and-forth battle. Michigan State put the first two points on the board. Iowa tied things up at six apiece and used its momentum to take a slight advantage. The Spartans did not go away easy, tying the set at 14 apiece. The set was knotted at 22 until Michigan State scored the last three points to complete the sweep.
Upcoming matchups
The Hawkeyes will have six more tries this season to get their first conference win. Iowa’s next match will come against Illinois on Friday, Nov. 10, at 6 p.m. at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa.
