Iowa volleyball broke even in the last two games of its 2025 season with a 3-1 win over Ohio State on Friday, followed by a 3-1 loss to No. 25 Penn State the next night.
The Hawkeyes finished the season 15-17 overall – the wins for the program since 2015 – and held a 6-14 mark in Big Ten play.
Hawkeyes Rout Buckeyes
Iowa crossed the 15-win marker with a Senior Night victory over Ohio State. The Hawkeyes led the Buckeyes in kills in all four sets played, enabling Iowa to storm to the 3-1 triumph.
Sixth-year Chard’e Vanzandt, one of three seniors honored, led Iowa with 16 kills, followed by third-year Alyssa Worden with nine kills. Fellow seniors Milana Moisio and Claire Ammeraal contributed with a combined 21 digs. Ammeraal dished out 41 assists.
“For us to get to 15 wins on Senior Night against an Ohio State program that has been successful lately proved that our program has taken a big step forward,” Iowa head coach Jim Barnes told HawkeyeSports.
The Hawkeyes controlled the tempo of the first set, leading the Buckeyes by as many as six points. After battling through five ties and a lead change, Iowa marched to a 25-17 victory in the first.
While the Hawkeyes were poised to take the second set, equipped with a 21-19 lead and two timeouts to burn, the Buckeyes crept back into the match, embarking on a 6-1 run to take the set, 25-22. Iowa hit just .200 in the second set, its lowest hitting percentage of the night.
The Hawkeyes redeemed themselves in the third set, taking a 25-16 victory, their largest margin of victory in the contest. While Ohio State managed to cut the Iowa lead to three points at 19-16, the Hawkeyes responded with a 6-0 run, capped off by three straight service aces from Worden.
Iowa shut the door on Ohio State with a 25-21 victory in the fourth set. The Hawkeyes refused to allow another Buckeye comeback and, following kills from third-year Hannah Whittingstall and Vanzandt, closed out the fourth set and the evening, 3-1.
“Chard’e came out red-hot for us tonight,” Barnes said. “We were a little sluggish, and it was frustrating to let them back into it in the second set. When Mo set the ball over and got the kill, it gave us a spark. From then on, we played with more energy and served them tough.”
Iowa Falls to Penn State in Season Finale
The Hawkeyes came up short against the Nittany Lions on Saturday night, losing, 3-1.
Vanzandt captured a double-double of 22 kills and 12 digs, while Worden tallied 17 kills. Moisio contributed 14 digs, while Ammeraal put up her own double-double of 43 assists and 15 digs.
Penn State started the first set on a 6-1 run and, despite forcing five ties and two lead changes, Iowa couldn’t overcome the momentum and fell in the first set, 25-22.
The Nittany Lions pulled to two sets ahead with a 25-21 victory in the second set. While both squads finished with 14 kills each, the Hawkeyes were hindered by eight attack errors, compared to three from the Nittany Lions.
Iowa ended Penn State’s bid for a sweep with a 25-22 victory in the third set. The Hawkeyes logged 18 kills while holding themselves to five errors when attacking, both tied for their best of the night.
The Nittany Lions finished the contest in the fourth set with a 25-20 triumph. While Iowa eyed a comeback and forced four ties and a lead change, Penn State’s 4-0 run early in the set proved a game-changer, giving the Nittany Lions the 3-1 victory.
“As a coach, it’s rare to have people that are committed and unified consistently,” Barnes said. “That is what I will remember about this team. We left some games on the table this season. There were games we could have pulled out and some what-ifs. It will be so difficult to replace our three seniors. This season was a giant step forward for the program.”