CORALVILLE, Iowa — University of Iowa volleyball fell to Ohio State, 3-0, Sunday afternoon inside Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa.
Senior Delaney McSweeney led the way for the Hawkeyes, posting 11 kills and a .407 hitting percentage. Redshirt junior Anna Davis hit at a clip of .445 against the Buckeyes. Sophomore Nataly Moravec recorded a career-high three service aces. Setters Bailey Ortega and Kaia Mateo registered 15 assists a piece.
Set 1 (Ohio State, 25-22): Iowa secured the first point of the match thanks to an ace by Moravec. Ohio State went on an offensive run early, but Michelle Urquhart posted a kill to put the ball back into the Hawkeye’s hands. Iowa kept climbing to meet the Buckeyes at a score of 7-7, after a solo block by Davis and a kill by Moravec. The two teams tied again at eight and nine, but Iowa pushed ahead after back-to-back aces by Moravec and forced Ohio State into a timeout. The set stayed close, tying again at 12 and 14. Buettner went back to serve another ace for the Hawkeyes. Iowa stretched the lead to three following a solid block by Davis and Mateo. The Buckeyes tried to catch up, but the Hawkeyes kept the lead and increased the spread to four. A Buckeye run tied things up, and carried them through to the end.
Set 2 (Ohio State, 26-24): Moravec put down a kill for the first point of the set. The Buckeyes posted a couple of points, but McSweeney responded with a kill assisted by Ortega. A few possessions later, Ortega assisted Urquhart who found a hole and registered a kill. The Hawkeyes battled to catch up to the Buckeyes, and the two teams consecutively tied the set every point from six through 12. A Buettner kill gave Iowa the lead, but the Buckeyes were quick to tie it up once again. McSweeney continued her attacking spree in the front row with another kill, pushing the Hawkeyes ahead by two. McSweeney then teamed up with Mateo for a block that shut down a Buckeye attack. Following an Iowa timeout, Moravec came back onto the court and posted a kill from the outside. The set remained tight near the end, but Ohio State came out on top.
Set 3 (Ohio State, 25-14): The Buckeyes came out with momentum, but an Iowa timeout recharged McSweeney as she added a point to the board with a kill. Buettner also recorded a kill for the Hawkeyes, lessening the gap. Moravec put an end to a long rally with a successful attack coming from the outside. In a strong play by the Hawkeyes, Ortega set the ball back to Davis on the right side to register a kill. After two Buckeye kills, Mateo and Davis paired up in the front row to record a kill and give the ball back to the Hawkeyes. McSweeney came through swinging after an Iowa timeout, posting a kill in the front row. The Hawkeyes fought to catch the Buckeyes, but fell short. Ohio State took the set and the match.
UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes travel to Bloomington, Indiana to play on Friday, Sept. 29 against Indiana. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT on B1G+.
