AMES, Iowa – University of Iowa volleyball split on Friday at the Cardinal and Gold Challenge. The Hawkeyes took Wright State to five sets, earning the win, and in the nightcap fell to Iowa State, 3-1, at Hilton Coliseum.
Iowa out-attacked Wright State, registering a season-high 70 kills with four Hawkeyes tallying double-figure kills, including senior Amiya Jones (17), sophomore Toyosi Onabanjo (13), junior Delaney McSweeney (12) and sophomore Michelle Urquhart (11).
In the first match, Urquhart recorded her third double-double of the season, recording 11 kills and 14 digs. Jones recorded a career-high 17 kills, Onabanjo tied her career-best kills (13), while McSweeney’s 12 kills marked her season high. Junior Audrey Black was a perfect 3-for-3 from the net in the third set.
Iowa held the hitting percentage even against Iowa State in its second match of the day, but was unable to get past its defense. Despite being out blocked, 13-7, in the match, the Hawkeye’s registered three more kills than the Cyclones. Iowa also out-served Iowa State five aces to its two — Hinkle registered two, tying her career-high for the eighth time and third time this season.
Onabanjo led the way for the Hawkeyes, recording 13 kills, followed by jones with 10. Senior setter Lily Tessier recorded an attacking percentage of .625 with five kills on the night.
HOW IT HAPPENED
VS. WRIGHT STATE
SET 1 (Iowa, 25-20): The Hawkeyes took an early lead in the first set before the Raiders were able to find their balance and even the score at five. The two teams alternated points until Iowa was able to score three in a row to take the lead, 13-10. The back and forth continued until Iowa pulled away after two Wright State timeouts and took the win, 25-20.
SET 2 (Wright State, 25-21): Once again, scoring was even matched between the Hawkeyes and Raiders. Neither team led by more than two until Wright State expanded its lead, 19-16. Iowa split the next six points with the Raiders but weren’t able to come back, and Wright State ended victorious.
SET 3 (Iowa, 25-16): The third set was quickly commanded by the Hawkeyes, taking an eight-point lead early. The Raiders fought back, but Iowa was dominant, holding them to a .029 attacking percentage. Iowa finished the set, allowing only eight points to its 15 to win 25-16.
SET 4 (Wright State, 27-25): The fourth set was evenly matched with 13 ties and two lead changes. Iowa took two timeouts late in the match, capitalizing out of each. The battle continued with a tied match at 25, but a couple of errors from the Hawkeyes gave the Raiders the win, 27-25.
SET 5 (Iowa, 16-14): The final set went back and forth from the start until Wright State three-consecutive points, taking the lead by four, 4-8. Iowa closed the gap to one and the Raiders called timeout. Following the break, Wright State scored, making the score, 7-9, but the Hawkeyes answered. The two teams continued to trade points, never letting the other more than a point ahead until Black registered her third kill of the set and the Raiders made an attacking error for Iowa’s final two points and the win, 16-14.
AT IOWA STATE
SET 1 (ISU, 25-19): Iowa State came out of the gate firing, going on a 6-0 run. Out of the first timeout, Iowa got their name on the board with a kill by McSweeney. The two teams went back and forth scoring until Iowa 5-0 run to lower the deficit to one, but the Cyclones pulled away and closed the set with a, 25-19, victory.
SET 2 (Iowa, 25-17): The Hawkeyes retaliated in the second set, forcing eight errors from the Cyclones. Scoring was back and forth through 10, but Onabanjo registered a kill and followed with an ace, taking the lead, 13-10. The Hawkeyes kept the lead the rest of the way, winning 25-17.
SET 3 (ISU, 25-23): Iowa commanded the lead, following the first point claimed by Iowa State. The Hawkeyes kept the Cyclones tamed not allowing them to score three-consecutive points until Iowa State brought Iowa’s lead down to 19-17. Scoring alternated until Iowa State went on a six-point run, taking its first lead at 24-23 and closed the set with the win.
SET 4 (Iowa, 25-18): The Hawkeyes opened the fourth set with a four-point run, forcing Iowa State to take a time out, which led to an Iowa service error for its first point. Iowa came back and earned the next two points with kills from Onabanjo and Jones, expanding the lead, 6-1. A four-point run lowered the Cyclone’s deficit, 10-9, driving Iowa to take a timeout. Scoring was back and forth until Iowa State went on another run and took the lead, 22-17. The Hawkeyes fought to a two-point deficit, but ultimately, the Cyclones came out on top, 25-21.
HEAR FROM HEAD COACH JIM BARNES
“We battled hard to win our first match of the tournament and was in control of the second match against Iowa State. We just made some unforced errors to give the game back to them. It’s frustrating. Whenever you have the lead, you can put a team away. We’ve got to learn as a team how to put a team like that away.”
NOTABLES
- Junior Audrey Black was a perfect 3-for-3 from the net in the fifth set against Wright State.
- Senior Amiya Jones posted career-high 17 kills against the Raiders.
- Iowa’s 70 kills against Wright State are its most this season.
- Iowa is 8-9-1 against Iowa State in Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series games.
UP NEXT
Iowa returns to action Saturday against in-state foe Drake at 2 p.m. CT for day two of the Cardinal and Gold Challenge inside Hilton Coliseum. The match will be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required).
