The Iowa volleyball team dropped back-to-back road contests against Ohio State and Penn State on Thursday and Friday. The defeats leave Iowa at 9-15 overall and 3-9 in Big Ten play.
The Hawkeyes opened up the roadtrip against Ohio State in Columbus, and struggled to get its offense going, ultimately getting swept in three sets of play.
Second-year Hannah Whittingstall, fourth-years Gracie Gibson and Michelle Urquhart, and first-year Malu Garcia each tallied seven kills for the Hawkeyes, while third-year setter Claire Ammeraal logged 18 assists. Fifth-year Joy Galles led defensively with eight digs against the Buckeyes.
The first set established a ferocious battle between the two squads, with seven ties and three lead changes.
Iowa jumped to a quick 2-0 lead on a kill from Gibson and a service ace from Galles. The Hawkeyes won the race to 10 points, but the Buckeyes steadily closed the gap to overtake Iowa. Leading 23-21 coming out of their own timeout, Ohio State capitalized on a kill and a service ace to take the first set, 25-21.
The Buckeyes took the second set by a wide margin, 25-16. Though the Hawkeyes fought hard, forcing six ties and two lead changes, Ohio State grabbed an early 2-0 lead and held off several Iowa rallies to take the set.
In the third set, the game’s closest, the Hawkeyes held their own until the very end. Iowa led Ohio State in kills, 15-11, but the Buckeye offense proved too much, and they finished the job with a kill.
The Hawkeyes challenged the final point, to no avail, and Ohio State claimed its ninth victory of the season.
Penn State
Iowa fell to No. 3 Penn State on Friday, 3-1.
First-year Alyssa Worden led the Hawkeye offense with 10 kills, followed by Garcia with nine. Galles rallied the defense with 15 digs, followed by Worden with 14.
Penn State took the first set 25-19, capitalizing on an Iowa attack error to secure the triumph. The Nittany Lions also led the Hawkeyes in kills 19-12, establishing a competitive tempo that would last throughout the contest.
Iowa rallied to claim the second set 25-20. The Hawkeyes maintained consistent offensive firepower, leading PSU in kills. Garcia sealed the deal for Iowa with an emphatic kill, ending the Nittany Lions’ bid for a sweep.
The third set saw Penn State aggressively take back the lead, logging 15 kills to the Hawkeyes’ 10, hitting at 58 percent. After multiple substitutions from both teams, the Nittany Lions grew their match lead to 2-1 with a kill, putting them one set away from victory.
Penn State blew the game open in the fourth set, winning 25-16 to take the contest. Although Iowa closed the gap to 24-16, a Hawkeye service error proved to be the difference in the Nittany Lions’ win.
“Our team competed very hard today,” Iowa head coach Jim Barnes told Hawkeye Sports. “We served, passed and blocked very well. We also learned some valuable lessons to help us moving forward.”
Up next
The Hawkeyes will return to action on Nov. 8 for a road matchup against Wisconsin, followed by a home rematch against Northwestern on Nov. 10. Both games are set to receive coverage from Big Ten Plus and the Hawkeye Radio Network.