The Iowa volleyball team is now 7-2 on the season after going 1-2 over the weekend in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
The Hawkeyes suffered their first loss of the 2024-25 campaign in Thursday’s matchup against Southeast Missouri State, falling in five sets. Three Iowa athletes scored in the double digits for kills, with sixth-year Chard’e Vanzandt leading the way with 22 kills. First-year Carmel Vares nabbed 17 kills, while third-year Alyssa Worden contributed 10.
Iowa took the first set, 25-21. While the Redhawks put up an equivalent 14 kills of their own, the Hawkeyes held themselves to only four attack errors, despite a tumultuous battle of seven ties and two lead changes.
SEMO struck back in the second set with a 25-23 win of their own. Seven attack errors on Iowa’s end, as well as two less kills, marked a close loss for the Hawkeyes, and the Redhawks tied up the contest at one apiece.
Iowa rallied to win the third set, its largest win of the night, 25-19. The Hawkeyes committed only one attack error and outkilled the Redhawks, 19-16.
A fifth set was confirmed following SEMO’s narrow 25-22 victory in the fourth, which saw Iowa struggle offensively with another seven attack errors, but only 12 kills.
In the contest’s final part, the Hawkeyes ran out of gas and fell, 17-15to the hosting Redhawks, who held the lead for the entirety of the set.
Murray State
Iowa regained its footing in Friday’s sweep of Murray State, improving to 7-1 for the best program start through eight matches since 2006.
The Hawkeyes breezed through the first set with a 25-11 victory over the Racers. Vanzandt recorded four kills, while third-year Hannah Whittingstall and second-year Aleksandra Stojanovic each tallied three.
Iowa took the second set, 25-15, despite more kills and a higher hitting percentage on Murray State’s end. Third-year Gabby Dewey stepped up and delivered five kills for the Hawkeyes to take the second by storm.
The Racers came out firing in the third set, marked by 11 tie scores and five lead changes. The Hawkeyes led by only one in kills and committed only one less attack error. In the end, Murray State’s seventh attack error of the set led to an unsuccessful challenge and a confirmed Iowa sweep.
Weber State
Iowa concluded the weekend with a five-set loss to Weber State on Saturday. Despite a season-high 10 aces, the Hawkeyes were hampered by 24 attack errors.
The Wildcats took the first set, 25-23. While four kills each from Vanzandt and Vares kept Iowa in the game, costly errors on the offensive end handed Weber State a narrow advantage.
It was the Hawkeyes’ turn for a win in the second, with a 25-21 victory over the Wildcats. Vares and Vanzandt nabbed four and three kills each, while fourth-year setter Claire Ammeraal secured two of her own, as well as 12 assists.
In the biggest win of the day, Weber State took the third set, 25-16. Nine attack errors held Iowa back and the Hawkeyes struggled to find any momentum on offense.
Iowa pushed the contest into a fifth and final set with a 25-22 win in the fourth, owing to four kills from Vares and two each from Ammeraal, Whittingstall, and Stojanovic.
Similar to Thursday’s contest against SEMO, however, Iowa fell in the fifth set, with Weber State taking a 15-9 win to close out play. The Hawkeyes were limited to six kills while committing three attack errors.
Up next
Iowa returns home to take on rival Iowa State in the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series on Wednesday. The game is scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m. with coverage on Big Ten Plus.