After three days of intense competition in Las Vegas, the Iowa volleyball team escaped with three wins in besting UNLV, Utah Tech, and CSU Bakersfield.
UNLV
The Hawkeyes began their season with a sweep against the hosting Rebels.
Iowa opened the set on a 7-1 run, boosted by kills from first-year Carmel Vares and third-year Hannah Whitingstall.
The Hawkeyes kept the momentum on their side throughout the set, however, and while UNLV managed to tie the score at 16 apiece, the Hawkeyes kept their composure, taking the first set, 25-22.
The second set was the most volatile, featuring 10 ties and three lead changes. Though Iowa trailed by as much as four, a kill from sixth-year Chard’e Vanzandt knotted things up at 17 all. Of the Hawkeyes’ 14 kills in the second set, a figure matched by the Rebels, the Chattanooga transfer claimed four of them.
Leading 23-21, Iowa soared to a win in the second set with a kill from Vares and a UNLV attack error.
The Hawkeyes completed the sweep in the third set, which saw another four kills from Vanzandt, as well as four from fourth-year setter Claire Ammeraal. Iowa nabbed another 25-21 set win to start their Las Vegas run and season 1-0.
Utah Tech
Iowa faced a stiff opposition against the Trailblazers on Saturday, with a shaky start keeping the two opponents close in the first set. A six-kill effort from third-year Alyssa Worden nevertheless paved the way for the Hawkeyes to take the first set, 25-18.
Utah Tech tied things up in the second set, capitalizing on eight Iowa attack errors to control the tempo from the start of the set, ending the Hawkeyes’ chances at another sweep. Despite three kills from Vanzandt, the Trailblazers took the second set, 25-14.
Iowa regained its footing in the third set, with a five-kill effort from Vares enabling a 25-15 triumph going into the fourth. Ammeraal posted four kills of her own, as did second-year Aleksandra Stojanovic.
The match was extended to five sets after Utah Tech claimed a 25-22 win in the fourth set. This set alone saw 12 tie scores and seven lead changes. Despite another four kills from Ammeraal, the Hawkeyes were held back by 10 attack errors, setting the stage for a fifth and final set to determine the victor.
In the end, Iowa emerged victorious after an intense final set of play, seizing a 15-11 victory over the Trailblazers to advance to 2-0 on the season. Stojanovic shined with four kills, while the Hawkeyes held themselves to three attack errors, their lowest of the evening.
“Utah Tech, especially with that many returners, played us really well, and we had to step it up,” Barnes told HawkeyeSports after the game. “We found a way tonight. Early in the season, sometimes we have to find a way to gut it out.”
CSU Bakersfield
Iowa took the first set against the Roadrunners with a 25-12 triumph, despite an early back-and-forth between the two teams. Amidst seven ties and two lead changes, the Hawkeyes led 10-9 in kills to ultimately pull away.
While the second set saw fiercer resistance from CSU Bakersfield, Iowa held their own until the 14-point mark, before stepping on the gas and pulling further away from the Roadrunners. With a 23-20 lead, the Hawkeyes closed out the set, 25-20, courtesy of a kill from Whittingstall and a CSU Bakersfield attack error.
The Roadrunners started the third set strong with a determined 3-0 run, before Iowa regained some momentum with a CSU Bakersfield attack error and two kills from second-year Hallie Steponaitis to make it 4-4.
The Hawkeyes ultimately won the crucial race to 10 points, later taking the third set with another 25-20 win.
Up next
Iowa will open their home slate against Butler on Sept. 4, the first of their three games in the Kwik Star Classic. The match is set to start at 6:00 p.m. with coverage from both Big Ten Plus and the Hawkeye Radio Network.