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AMES, Iowa — The University of Iowa volleyball team improved to 7-2 on the season with a 3-0 sweep over Montana on Saturday afternoon in Cyclone Invitational action. All 16 Hawkeyes saw game action in the victory.
“It was a fantastic team effort today,” said UI head coach Bond Shymansky. “Everybody came in and they didn’t just play a role, they contributed significantly. I’m really proud of our group’s resiliency after last night’s tough defeat.”
The Iowa offense came out firing in set one, overwhelming the Grizzlies with a .778 attack percentage to win the set, 25-8. Six Hawkeyes registered at least two kills in the set. Junior Jess Janota led the way with four, while senior setter Loxley Keala dished out 13 assists.
The Hawkeyes utilized a 9-0 run to grab a lead in the second set and never looked back. Redshirt sophomore Kasey Reuter served the run and registered a career-high four aces, while sophomore Reghan Coyle and Janota added a block. Iowa maintained its momentum from there, going on to win the set, 25-10, and take a 2-0 lead in the match. Reuter paced the Iowa offense in the set, registering five kills and a .444 hitting percentage.
Iowa used an 11-1 run to grab a lead and create distance in set three. Freshman Cali Hoye (2), redshirt sophomore Taylin Alm (1), and seniors Ashley Mariani (1) and Keala (1) added kills to the rally, while senior Alyssa Klostermann served an ace. Iowa coasted from there, spreading out 15 kills to six different Hawkeyes to seal the 25-21 set victory. Alm led the offense with five kills and a .714 attack percentage in the set.
“We talk about being able to rebound quickly,” said Shymansky. “We need to have a memory to learn, but short lived disappointment after a loss. I thought that our passing and overall intensity was much improved this morning. I think that’s a good sign for our ability to recover, not just day-by-day but point-by-point as we go deeper into the season.”
Reuter paced the team with nine kills, and Keala dished out a team-high 28 assists. Junior libero Annika Olsen led the Hawkeyes with 16 digs, and Coyle paced the team with three blocks. Janota registered a career-high six digs in the contest.
Iowa returns to action tonight with a 6:30 p.m. (CT) contest against North Dakota State.