CORALVILLE, Iowa — University of Iowa volleyball downed Missouri State on Saturday night, 3-1, in its second installment of the Hawkeye Invitational inside Xtream Arena.
Sophomore Nataly Moravec posted a .303 clip with 12 kills on 33 attempts to lead the Hawkeyes. Fifth year Caitlan Buettner and senior Delaney McSweeney also posted double-figure kills, knocking down 13 and 11, respectively. Senior setter Bailey Ortega registered a double-double with 25 assists and 10 digs. Buettner added three service aces and four blocks to her stat line, leading Iowa in both. On the receiving end, junior Sydney Dennis led the defense with 20 digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
SET 1 (IOWA, 25-19): Iowa kicked off the match in commanding fashion, going on a 7-1 run with kills from junior Michelle Urquhart, McSweeney, freshman Gabby Deery (2), and Buettner — all assisted by Ortega. Missouri State chipped away, trying to take the lead, but the Hawkeyes capitalized on two Bear errors, along with a kill from redshirt junior Anna Davis and Buettner’s first ace of the night, going up 13-7. The Bears called timeout and Buettner came back with her second-consecutive ace. The set continued with each team allowing the other a couple points at a time, but it was Iowa that came out on top.
SET 2 (Missouri St., 25-21): Missouri State took the early lead, 2-0. Deery took it upon herself to get the Hawkeyes in the set, posting the first three point with two kills assisted by Ortega and the third assisted by freshman setter Kaia Mateo. The set was tied at four with a hitting error from the Bears. Davis posted a kill to tie the set again at five, but Missouri State got hot, taking the lead, 15-8. The Hawkeyes fought back with a five-point scoring run, lessening the spread to two. The two teams exchanged sets of three to keep Iowa within two before Missouri State called a timeout with the Hawkeyes down, 19-17. The Bears scored out of the break, but Iowa once again put up three points, tying the set at 20. The Bears won the set and tied the match at one-all.
SET 3 (IOWA, 25-21): A kill from Mateo and Buettner’s third ace of the match gave Iowa the early advantage. The two teams exchanged errors before Iowa posted three-consecutive points to lead, 7-3. As Missouri State crept up, the Hawkeyes kept the lead, 12-9, with back-to-back kills from Buettner and Davis. A pair of aces from the Bears tied the set at 12 and forced Iowa into a timeout. Missouri State got two more out of the huddle, but Iowa recovered and took back the lead with three Moravec kills and a Bear error. Out of a Missouri State timeout, the Bears tied the Hawkeyes for the last time in the set. Iowa responded with four before the Bears attempted a comeback, but Iowa kept the lead, winning its second set with a kill from Buettner and two blocks from Davis and Deery and Buettner and Davis.
SET 4 (IOWA, 25-21): Out of the gate, Missouri state posted three errors to give Iowa the early lead and before calling a timeout. Scoring went back and forth with the Hawkeyes keeping the lead after McSweeney registered a kill assisted by Mateo. The Bears went on a 7-1 run, taking the lead, 14-10, but Iowa fought hard, exchanging points and then going on its own 8-1 run, regaining the lead, 18-16. The Bears tried to recoup, but Iowa posted four kills and a block to close out the set and win the match.
HAWKEYE HIGHLIGHTS
- Ortega posted a double-double with 25 assists and 10 digs.
- Urquhart assisted three kills to register a season-high and most as a Hawkeye.
- Five Hawkeyes posted double-figure digs, including Dennis (20), Buettner (15), Amanda Darling (11), Urquhart (10), and Ortega (10).
UP NEXT
Iowa closes out the Hawkeye Invitational on Sunday at 2 p.m. as they take on Grand Canyon inside Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa. The match will be live streamed on B1G+.
