CORALVILLE, Iowa – University of Iowa volleyball fell to No. 6 Nebraska, 3-0, Friday evening in Xtream Arena.
SET 1 (Neb. 25-14): Iowa used a challenge on the second point of the match. The challenge was successful, as Nebraska did touch the ball, and junior Delaney McSweeney got the kill to tie the set at one. The Cornhuskers took a 4-2 lead as they recorded three straight points. Iowa responded with kills from seniors Amiya Jones and Edina Schmidt to get within one, 6-5. Nebraska opened a 5-0 scoring run to take a six-point lead as Iowa took their first timeout, down 11-5. A kill from sophomore Addie VanderWeide ended the Cornhusker run at seven. The Hawkeyes used their second timeout as Nebraska was pulling away, up 15-6. The Iowa fight was alive as they opened a 4-0 run, including two big kills from Jones. This forced a Cornhusker timeout with their lead at six, 18-12. Nebraska closed out the set on a 6-2 run to secure the victory.
SET 2 (Neb., 25-17): The second set opened evenly matched between the two teams with ties at points one through five. Iowa took the, 5-7, lead after an ace from Jones. Nebraska was able to score three straight to take the lead, 8-7. The Hawkeyes and the Cornhuskers went point for point, before Nebraska started to pull away. Iowa took a timeout with the score, 13-10, in favor of the Cornhuskers. The Hawkeyes were able to tie the set at 13 after a 3-0 run with kills from sophomore Michelle Urquhart and Jones. Iowa took their second timeout as Nebraska took the lead, 17-14. Late kills from the Hawkeyes kept the set alive, but in the end the Cornhuskers were able to take the set, winning by eight.
SET 3 (Neb., 25-14): Nebraska opened the third set strong, taking a 6-1 lead which led to Iowa taking their first timeout. A successful Hawkeye challenge gave sophomore Toyosi Onabanjo a kill, and ended the Cornhusker run. Iowa got within three after a 3-0 run that included a kill from Schmidt. Two kills from VanderWeide got the score to 11-9 in favor of Nebraska. The Hawkeyes took their second timeout with the Cornhusker lead at five, 15-10. Iowa was able to get a few points here and there but Nebraska maintained the lead and were able to close out the match.
NOTABLES
- This was the second and final meeting between these teams this season. Nebraska took the series 2-0.
- Senior outside hitter Edina Schmidt led the team hitting at a clip of .500.
HEAR FROM HEAD COACH JIM BARNES
“The level of competition in the Big Ten is extremely high. The gap between us and the middle of the conference is not that big. Even though our record doesn’t reflect the results we wanted this year, we are not far off from the middle of the league and we take confidence in that.”
UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes travel to Champaign, Ill. to face the Illini on Sunday Nov. 20. First serve in Huff Hall is set for 1 p.m. CT and will be live streamed on B1G+ (subscription required).
