Iowa volleyball went 0-2 in this weekend’s road trip to No. 1 Nebraska and No. 10 Wisconsin. The Hawkeyes were swept by both the Cornhuskers and Badgers, dropping to 14-16 overall and 5-13 in conference action with two matches left in the season.
Hawkeyes Challenge Huskers
Iowa battled but ultimately fell short against Nebraska in Thursday’s contest.
Third-year Alyssa Worden led the Hawkeye offense with eight kills, followed by first-year Carmel Vares with seven kills. Fourth-years Milana Moisio and Claire Ammeraal tallied nine digs and 20 assists, respectively.
The Huskers raced ahead to a 4-0 run early in the first set to take an early lead, which Nebraska held through the end of the set. After Iowa’s first timeout, the Hawkeyes got as close as six points in a 25-15 Husker victory in the first set.
Iowa fared better in the second set, tying the score seven times. However, the Huskers’ defense prevented the Hawkeyes from taking any leads in the set, while Nebraska’s offense outkilled Iowa, 16-13. The Hawkeyes fell in the second set, 25-21, the closest margin of the contest.
After nine ties and four lead changes, an extremely competitive finale resulted in the Huskers completing their sweep of the Hawkeyes with a 25-18 triumph in the third set. Iowa was weighed down by 10 attack errors, coupled with only half of Nebraska’s kills.
“We did some really good things, especially winning the serve and pass war against the best passing team in the country,” head coach Jim Barnes told HawkeyeSports. “Any time you can manage the serve and pass game, it will keep you in the match. It is hard to win that part of the game in this building. There were some things that allowed us to stay in sets two and three, but we just didn’t put enough balls away and had too many errors.”
Iowa Takes on Wisconsin
The Hawkeyes fell in straight sets in a rematch against the Badgers on Sunday.
Sixth-year Chard’e Vanzandt contributed nine kills and seven digs, followed by third-year Hannah Whittingstall with five kills.
Moisio and third-year Greta Schlichter tallied five digs apiece, while Ammeraal put up five kills of her own, as well as a double-double of 21 assists and 10 digs.
Wisconsin took an early lead in the first set, and although Iowa closed within two points, the Hawkeyes were held back by only nine kills, compared to a 23-kill effort from the Badgers.
Although Iowa committed fewer attack errors, Wisconsin’s heavy hitting gave the Badgers the first set, 25-17.
Wisconsin took the second set after a fierce battle that consisted of seven ties and three lead changes, both the most out of the match’s three sets. While an attack error narrowed Wisconsin’s lead to 23-15, back-to-back kills gave the Badgers a 10-point win in the second set.
Wisconsin completed the sweep in a closer third set, 25-19. Iowa recorded a match-high 11 kills and held itself to three attack errors. The Hawkeyes also hit at a high of 26.7 percent, but the Badgers, following a service ace from Worden, closed out the contest with one final kill.
Ammeraal to Next Level
Major League Volleyball is a new unified league formed from its predecessor and the Professional Volleyball Federation. A women’s indoor league, the MLV features nine teams and held its draft Monday. The Omaha Supernovas selected Ammeraal with the 22nd overall pick. Ammeraal, a transfer setter from Central Michigan, has recorded over 3,000 assists during her collegiate career and became the first Iowa player drafted to the MLV. Former Hawkeye Courtney Buzzerio signed with the Atlanta Vibe in 2024.
Up Next
The Hawkeyes are home for their last two matches of the season, both taking place at Xtream Arena. Iowa will take on Ohio State on Nov. 28, before testing Penn State the following day.
The Hawkeyes and Buckeyes will face each other at 6 p.m., with coverage provided by Big Ten Plus, while action against the Nittany Lions will start at the same time, with the Big Ten Network streaming the contest.
Both contests are also set to receive coverage from the Hawkeye Radio Network.