COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The University of Iowa volleyball team (3-10) fell in four sets to Maryland (3-10) on Friday night at the Xfinity Center Pavilion.
Three of the four sets were decided by two points in Iowa’s first match in 13 days. The Hawkeyes dropped the first set, 26-24, and the second set, 25-17, before winning the third set 26-24. In the fourth set, Iowa came up short, 25-23.
Sophomore outside hitter Edina Schmidt led Iowa with a match-high 19 kills on a career-high 47 total attacks. Schmidt’s 19 kills were two shy of tying a career high, while she set a new career high with nine digs and tied a career high with three aces.
Junior outside hitter Courtney Buzzerio (23) and freshman setter Bailey Ortega (22) each registered 20+ assists.
HOW IT HAPPENED
SET 1 (Maryland, 26-24): With neither team leading by led by more than two for the first 28 points, Iowa went on a 6-0 run to take a 19-14 lead. Maryland won five of the six points, but two straight kills by junior Amiya Jones gave Iowa a 22-19 advantage. Maryland wouldn’t go away, winning five of the next six points to hold the set’s first set point. Iowa held the first set point, before the Terps rattled off two more points to win the first set.
SET 2 (Maryland, 25-17): Maryland led 9-6 and 12-9, forcing an Iowa timeout. Junior middle blocker Hannah Clayton registered a kill out of the timeout, but the Terps went on a 3-0 run to increase their lead to 15-10. The Hawkeyes tried to mount a comeback, but Iowa couldn’t string back-to-back points together for the remainder of the set to fall behind 2-0 in the match.
SET 3 (Iowa, 26-24): A back-and-forth set to start, Iowa separated itself with a 3-0 run on Blythe Rients kill and back-to-back aces by Jones to take a 14-11 lead. Maryland won five of the next six points to take a 16-15 lead. Iowa responded with two kills by Schmidt and one by Buzzerio to take an 18-16 lead. The Terrapins were the first to 20 by way of a 4-0 run, but Iowa won five of the next six points to hold a 23-21 advantage, forcing a Maryland timeout. With Maryland facing set point at 24-22, the Terrapins tied it at 24, before back-to-back Audrey Black kills gave Iowa the set-three win.
SET 4: (Maryland, 25-23): The Hawkeyes led 8-5 courtesy of a 3-0 run for their largest lead of the set. Maryland tied the set at 10 with a 3-0 run of its own. The Terrapins held their largest advantage, leading 16-13, but Iowa responded to with kills by Black and Schmidt to trail by only one, 17-16. The Hawkeyes tied it up at 20 and 22 but could never get over the hump. The Hawkeyes fended off one match point to trail 24-23 thanks to a Rients kill, but Maryland finished off the match with a kill.
HEAR FROM COACH BROWN
On losing three sets by just two points: “(It’s) confirmation that this weekend was going to be a battle every point and every set. We have to clean up our block on the pins and work on getting more of a balance offense in transition.”
NOTABLES
- Schmidt and Jones registered a season-high three service aces.
- Maryland tallied 16 blocks and Iowa was limited to four blocks – its lowest total in its last seven games.
- Four Hawkeyes recorded at least six digs: Joslyn Boyer (11), Buzzerio (8), Schmidt (8), and Ortega (6)
UP NEXT
Iowa wraps up its trip out east with another match against Maryland tomorrow at 5 p.m. (CT). The game will be streamed on B1G Network+.
