BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — University of Iowa volleyball fell to University of Indiana, 3-0, Friday evening inside Wilkinson Hall.
Fifth year Caitlan Buettner led the way for the Hawkeyes, posting 11 kills. Following closely behind was redshirt senior Delaney McSweeney with eight kills and hitting a .438 clip. Redshirt sophomore Sydney Dennis registered 16 digs on the night, and Kaia Mateo led the team in assists with 17.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 (Indiana, 25-20): The Hoosiers started the set off with a point, but Iowa pushed ahead securing the next three. Mateo assisted redshirt junior Anna Davis, registering the first kill of the night for the Hawkeyes. Iowa held the lead early, until Indiana brought the set to a tie at six. The two teams fought back and forth, exchanging points through eight. The Hawkeyes took the lead once again when McSweeney and Mateo teamed up at the net to post a block. Indiana went on an offensive run, until back-to-back kills by Nataly Moravec closed the gap to one. Coming out of an Iowa timeout, the Hawkeyes clinched two points thanks to a Hoosier error and a kill by McSweeney. Bailey Ortega set up Buettner on the outside for a kill. Iowa fought to close the spread, but Indiana ended up on top.
Set 2 (Indiana, 25-19): Indiana came out with momentum, putting up the first two points. Junior Michelle Urquhart added a point to the board for the Hawkeyes, registering a kill assisted by Dennis. Iowa trailed closely behind, but a kill by Buettner put the ball back into the Hawkeye’s hands. Back-to-back Hawkeye kills by McSweeney and Buettner, followed by another Indiana error brought the spread to one and sent Indiana into a timeout. Out of the break, Moravec paired up with McSweeney at the net to register a block and bring the set to a tie at 10. The team went back and forth to tie it up again at 11. Iowa came out of a late timeout and went on a spree of attacks when Moravec, Buettner, and Mateo all posted kills to close the spread to two. The Hawkeyes battled, but could not catch the Hoosiers. Indiana took the second set.
Set 3 (Indiana, 25-16): The Hawkeyes clinched the first point of the set thanks to a McSweeney kill. The Hoosiers put up a few of points, but the Hawkeyes were quick to respond and took back the lead, 5-3. The Hawkeyes maintained their lead, 9-7, capitalizing on kills from McSweeney and Moravec and a couple Hoosier errors. The Hoosiers went on an offensive run, but a Buettner kill gave Iowa the ball back. The Hawkeyes fought to close the gap, but Indiana kept the lead. Toward the end of the set, Moravec and McSweeney stood strong at the net for a block. Indiana held its ground, taking the set and the match.
UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes travel to Champaign, Illinois, to take on the Illini Saturday, Sept. 30 inside Huff Hall. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT on B1G+ (subscription required).
