Hawkeyes Chip Down Chippewas, 3-1

Hawkeyes Chip Down Chippewas, 3-1

CORALVILLE, Iowa — University of Iowa volleyball took down Central Michigan, 3-1, Friday evening inside Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa.

Anna Davis and Gabby Deery led the way for the Hawkeyes with 11 kills each, Davis hitting at a clip of .500. Nataly Moravec followed closely behind with 10 kills. Bailey Ortega posted 24 assists, and Kaia Mateo registered 21.

 

HOW IT HAPPENED

SET 1 (Iowa, 25-17): Iowa opened the match strong by securing the first two points. The two teams exchanged kills, and then the Hawkeyes capitalized on a Chippewa error. Davis came through swinging from the right side for a kill, bringing the Iowa lead to 5-3. Central Michigan attempted to challenge but went unsuccessful, giving Moravec a kill. Delaney McSweeney then registered her first kill of the set, bringing the score to 9-5. Thanks to assists by Mateo, the Hawkeyes went on a run of five consecutive kills. Freshman Deery registered two of the five. Iowa had Central Michigan doubled up, 12-6, after another kill by McSweeney. The Chippewas took the first point coming back from a timeout, but Davis was quick to respond with a kill. A successful attack by Moravec increased the spread to 21-14. The Hawkeyes took the set following a kill by Davis.

SET 2 (Iowa, 25-20): Central Michigan came out with momentum, before Iowa settled in. Ortega set Deery up for back-to-back kills and tied the set early. Iowa took the lead after Sydney Dennis went back to serve an ace. Central Michigan fought back for the lead, but had a pair of errors and the set came to a tie at 6. The teams battled back and forth, bringing the score to a tie again at 7 and 8. Caitlan Buettner attacked the Chippewas and added a kill to the board for the Hawkeyes. After falling behind, Iowa took advantage of a Central Michigan error, and tied the set. The game remained tight, tying three more times. The Hawkeyes pulled ahead when Mateo assisted Moravec for a kill. A kill and a Chippewa error allowed Iowa to get ahead by two. Michelle Urquhart served an ace and sent Central Michigan into a timeout. McSweeney and Deery posted up for a block, increasing the spread to four. At set point, Deery put one down from the right side and Iowa closed the second set.

SET 3 (CMU, 25-18): The Hawkeyes took the first point of the set. Central Michigan came back and put a few points on the board. The Chippewas maintained the lead, but Iowa slimmed the spread to two after an ace by Urquhart. McSweeney couldn’t be stopped in the front row, recording back-to-back kills. A few kills by the Chippewas led Iowa into a timeout. Central Michigan took the first point out of the timeout, but Ortega and Moravec paired up to secure a kill. The two teams exchanged kills, and Iowa fought to lessen the spread. McSweeney added another kill to the board, and Iowa called a timeout after Central Michigan notched two kills. Audrey Black came onto the court to put down her first kill of the match. The Hawkeyes battled to catch up but fell short. Central Michigan finished the set on top.

SET 4 (Iowa, 25-23): Iowa put up four points right off the bat after a Deery kill and three consecutive aces by Urquhart. Central Michigan then took an early timeout. The Hawkeyes came back onto the court with Buettner tallying a kill. A couple of Chippewa errors pushed the Iowa lead to 7-1. Central Michigan shortened the spread to two, sending Iowa into a timeout. Ortega and Deery teamed up to record a kill and take the ball back. Central Michigan tied the set, and then pulled ahead. Davis then served two consecutive aces, giving Iowa the lead again. The two teams took turns being ahead, but a block by McSweeney and Deery tied the set at 16. Kills by Davis and Mateo led to a Central Michigan timeout. Buettner found a hole in the defense to add a point for the Hawkeyes. After a successful challenge, Iowa won the set, and ultimately the match.

NOTABLES

  • Davis posted no errors on her 11 kill, 22 total attack night
  • McSweeney assisted in four blocks
  • Urquhart recorded three consecutive aces, five total on the evening
  • Moravec tallied a career high of 41 total attacks
  • Deery hit at a career high clip of .391
  • Urquhart tied her career high in service aces (5)

UP NEXT

The Hawkeyes return to Xtream Arena tomorrow, Sept. 9, facing Missouri State in game two of the Hawkeye Invitational. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT on B1G+.