CORALVILLE, Iowa — University of Iowa volleyball fell to No. 1 Wisconsin, 3-0, Wednesday evening inside Xtream Arena.
Caitlan Buettner led the match on both sides of the net with 12 kills for the Hawkeyes, and registered her fifth double-double of the season. Nataly Moravec followed closely behind posting 10 kills, and Delaney McSweeney recorded a hitting percentage of .462. Sydney Dennis put up 11 digs, and setters Kaia Mateoand Bailey Ortega had 16 assists a piece.
Set 1 (Wisconsin, 25-19): The Hawkeyes went 2-0 right off the bat, following a McSweeney kill and an ace by Moravec. The ball went into the hands of the Badgers for two, until a diving assist by Ortega set up Buettner for a kill. Wisconsin tied it up at three, but Iowa pushed ahead after a Buettner attack. The set remained tight early, tying at four and five. Moravec came through swinging from the outside to give Iowa the possession. The Hawkeyes took the lead by one after another Moravec kill, forcing Wisconsin into a timeout. Although the Badgers fought to catch the Hawkeyes, they trailed behind. A successful challenge by Iowa allowed them to keep the lead. Freshman Gabby Deery posted a kill to stretch the Iowa lead to four. The Badgers closed the gap until they met Iowa at 17. Wisconsin went on an offensive run and brought the match to set point. Iowa fell short and Wisconsin took the set.
Set 2 (Wisconsin 25-18): The Badgers stole the first point after a hard-fought rally. Iowa quickly responded, when Ortega found Deery for a successful approach from the right side. The Hawkeyes took advantage of a Badger error to tie the set at three. Wisconsin took a small lead, but back-to-back Hawkeye kills by Davis and Moravec brought the score to sixes. Iowa followed closely behind the Badgers, and Moravec recorded her seventh kill of the match. Wisconsin went on an offensive run, and Iowa battled to climb back. Michelle Urquhart registered an ace and Davis found a hole for a kill to bring the set within four. McSweeney posted a couple of consecutive kills for the Hawkeyes out of the middle. Iowa continued to fight, but were unable to catch up and Wisconsin secured the second set.
Set 3 (Wisconsin, 25-16): Wisconsin came out with motivation, but a block by Davis and Buettner added a point to the board for the Hawkeyes. Iowa came out of a timeout ready to battle, when Mateo assisted Moravec for a kill. The Badgers held the lead, but the Hawkeyes went on a 4-0 run to bring the set within one point. Wisconsin got a point, but Iowa stole the possession back for Buettner to record an impressive kill. The set came to a tie at 13, until Iowa capitalized on a Badger error to take the lead. The two teams battled back and forth, and tied again at 15 and 16. A Badger run made it hard for Iowa to recover, and Wisconsin pushed ahead to take the set and the match.
HEAR FROM HEAD COACH JIM BARNES
“I want to shoutout Caitlan Buettner tonight. She was across the net from multiple all-Americans and still led both teams in kills. Not only that, but she also tied for the most digs.”
UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes travel to West Lafayette, Indiana, to play on Saturday, Oct. 7 against Purdue. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT on B1G+ (subscription required).
