LINCOLN, Neb. – University of Iowa volleyball battled top-ranked Nebraska but fell in straight sets in front of a sellout crowd inside the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Thursday night. The Hawkeyes drop to 14-15 overall and 5-12 in Big Ten play.
Nebraska used early runs to take a decisive first set win 25-15. The Hawkeyes were able to respond to Husker runs in the second and third, but ultimately fell 25-21 and 25-18.
Redshirt sophomore Alyssa Worden led the Hawkeyes with eight kills on 25 attempts. Freshman Carmel Vares terminated seven kills on 22 attempts and hit .182.
Sophomore Aleksandra Stojanovic led the Hawkeyes with a team-high .400 hitting percentage on five kills. Freshman Makena Rumple made her second-consecutive start for the Hawkeyes and recorded three kills.
Senior Claire Ammeraal, Stojanovic and Rumple all tallied two blocks.
HEAR FROM HEAD COACH JIM BARNES
“We did some really good things, especially winning the serve and pass war against the best passing team in the country. 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. We pulled together and gave ourselves a chance. We learned some things tonight that will help us as we get ready for Wisconsin.”
MATCH SUMMARY
SET ONE (NEBRASKA 25-15)
Vares went down the line to grab the first kill for the Hawkeyes. Rumple got in the action and gave the Hawkeyes a quick sideout at 3-2. Nebraska went on a 4-0 run to push in front 9-3 and Iowa called its first timeout. Worden stopped the run at 6-0 with a kill through the block. A 3-1 response from the Hawkeyes tightened the set at 13-7. Vanzandt timed up a solo block to pull Iowa within six at 14-8. Nebraska won the next three points and forced Iowa’s last timeout of the set at 17-8. After falling behind 20-10, Iowa rattled off the next three points on a trio of kills from Worden. A Husker error and kill from Worden kept Iowa alive in the set before Nebraska won the final three points to clinch the set. Worden was the main target for Ammeraal in the first set, terminating five kills.
SET TWO (NEBRASKA 25-21)
Vares again terminated from the right side to get the Hawkeyes on the board in the second set. A Husker service error gave the Hawkeyes a sideout and brought the deficit down to two at 6-4. Ammeraal dumped it over on two to keep Iowa close, trailing 7-5. A Worden kill and ace drew Iowa within one at 8-7. Iowa hung tough with a Vanzandt kill as Nebraska led, 10-9. An ace from Marquardt tied the set at 10-10. Rumple reached high to get a touch kill off the Husker block, with Nebraska leading 13-12. Vanzandt found the floor to stay in the fight with Nebraska at 14-13. The Huskers led 15-13 at the media break. Kills from Vares and Stojanovic pulled Iowa to a 16-15 deficit. A dunk from Stojanovic tied the set at 16-16. Vares heated up in set two collecting her seventh kill to keep Iowa within striking distance. Marquardt dropped in a corner ace, forcing a Nebraska timeout at 19-19. A Nebraska error re-tied the set at 20-20. Consecutive points for the Huskers made Iowa call a timeout, trailing 22-20. After Nebraska took a 23-20 lead, Worden broke the Huskers serve with a kill. A kill and an error sealed the set for the Huskers. Iowa outserved the Huskers in the second set, recording three service aces to their two. The Hawkeyes had an answer for each Husker rally, tying the set seven times.
SET THREE (NEBRASKA 25-18)
Iowa fell behind 2-0 early before Nebraska hit one long. Ammeraal and Rumple blocked consecutive Harper Murray attacks to tie the set at 4-4. The set was tied again at 6-6 after an Ammeraal swing. Ammeraal went over on two again after a nice dig from Stojanovic. An error from Nebraska tied the set once more at 8-8. A solo block from Stojanovic gave the Hawkeyes their first lead of the night at 9-8. A kill from Vares broke a 10-10 tie, but Nebraska took a two-point edge into the media break. A couple of Hawkeye errors gave the Huskers distance and forced Iowa’s first timeout trailing 17-13. The Huskers used sideout volleyball to maintain their lead. Iowa fell behind 20-15 before mounting a brief comeback to draw within three. Iowa used its final timeout while trailing, 22-17. Stojanovic terminated out of the middle to cut the deficit to four. Nebraska closed out the set with three straight points to secure the match. The Hawkeyes battled the Huskers, tying the set nine times and forcing four lead changes.
Up Next: Iowa (14-15, 5-12 B1G) travels to Madison to take on 10th-ranked Wisconsin on Sunday afternoon. First serve is at 1:00 p.m. inside the UW Field House. The match will be streamed on B1G+ and the Hawkeye Radio Network.
