While Iowa volleyball’s 3-2 nail-biter loss to Iowa State in Wednesday’s Cy-Hawk game may not have been the result the Hawkeyes were hoping for, it did give first-year Gia McGrew her first career start, which the Florida native took full advantage of it.
McGrew led Iowa with 13 kills in the Hawkeyes’ fourth five-set match this season, attributing her steady success to her teammates.
“I have amazing teammates who just helped me along the match, always told me where to hit,” McGrew said after the game. “[They] just told me that they believed in me, and that was so important. I was so grateful.”
Head coach Jim Barnes praised McGrew’s performance.
“She’s just a winner,” Barnes said. “That kid has been a winner, and in practice, she’s been playing better and better. That position has been really up and down for us this season. She hit a good number, led us in kills. She’s just a pure winner.”
McGrew was one of three Hawkeyes to reach double figures in kills against the Cyclones, joining second-year Aleksandra Stojanovic and sixth-year Chard’e Vanzandt.
McGrew’s 13-kill performance was not only a career high, but also nearly a quarter of Iowa’s 55 kills. On the flip side, Iowa State, the No. 4 team in the nation for hitting percentage, logged 65 kills.
“I know we did not get the outcome that we wanted, but we learned so much,” McGrew said. “I was grateful for that match.”
The outside hitter also expressed determination to help the Hawkeyes however she could.
“I just wanted to hit the ball,” McGrew said. “I just wanted to do anything I could for my team. I gave it all to God. I think it was just so cool. These are opportunities that people dream of. It’s just surreal.”
Barnes praised McGrew’s bravery and willingness to adapt to a different role than what she’s normally used to.
“She’s fearless, and we know that about her,” Barnes said. “She’s naturally a right-sided player, played right side her whole life. So we’re also telling the freshmen to go play a different position. That kid doesn’t know pressure. She just wants the ball and she’s just going to get better and better.”
The McNeese State alum also made sure to give credit to the first-year class of players as a whole.
“The freshman class has got a lot of talent to help us out,” Barnes said. “We’ve got a lot of first-year players helping us and we just need a little time to get a little more consistent. I think this match is going to help us do just that.”
With the loss to Iowa State, Iowa drops to a 7-3 overall record and has lost three of its last four contests. Despite this, Barnes and his players remain optimistic and continue to dream big.
“We hate to lose to any team, but I think it was a great learning match for us,” Barnes said. “We gave ourselves chances, and the mistakes we made at those critical moments can be fixed. There’s no better fixer than to fall short and get to watch that on film again, which we will do, and then learn from it.”
McGrew echoed her coach’s sentiment.
“We’re up,” McGrew said. “I think that we believe in each other. We know what we can do. I think that this is a very special team that’s going to do very special things.”