COLLEGE PARK, MD– The University of Iowa volleyball team outlasted Maryland in a five-set victory Saturday night at Xfinity Pavilion.
The Hawkeyes improve to 8-6 on the season and 2-0 in conference for the first time since 2008. Iowa is 4-0 in five-set matches this season beating Delaware, Maryland, Rutgers, and South Dakota.
Sophomore Gabby Deery set a new career high with 20 kills while hitting at a .410 clip. Senior Michelle Urquhart recorded a double-double with 16 kills and 16 digs. Freshman Malu Garcia rounded out the offense with 11 kills. Freshman Jenna Meitzler tied her career best five kills to go along with 47 assists, five blocks and nine digs. Senior Gracie Gibson tied her career best eight blocks with six kills hitting at a .417 clip.
HEAR FROM HEAD COACH JIM BARNES
“The determination of our team helped us grit out another great win on the road.
Gabby and Michelle played big for us and Joy played relentless defense. We still aren’t playing close to our highest level, but the team is determined to find ways to win as we improve each day.”
MATCH SUMMARY
SET ONE (IOWA 27-25)
Maryland struck first but the Hawkeyes were able to get ahead with a kill from Gibson and service ace from redshirt freshman Olivia Lombardi. The set would remain tight with both teams trading kills and errors resulting in 14 ties throughout the first set. After going down, 9-7, kills from sophomore Hannah Whittingstall and Gibson would tie the match at nine apiece. Neither team would get much separation until a service ace from Garcia and an error by the Terrapins gave Iowa the 17-14 advantage. Maryland would come back late in the set to take the lead at 23-22, but the Hawkeyes would push, and Urquhart closed out the set with a kill and a service ace to give Iowa the first set. The Hawkeyes hit .312 in the first set along with five service aces.
SET TWO (MARYLAND 25-21)
Maryland got out to a hot start in the second going on a 9-2 run. A kill from Urquhart would cut the lead to six, before Iowa made their own 7-1 run led by two service aces from redshirt freshman Alyssa Worden and a kill from Garcia and Deery to bring the Hawkeyes within one at 10-9. Iowa tied the set at 12-12 but would not get the lead back as Maryland quickly ran away with it. Two blocks and a kill from Deery would break the Terrapins momentum at 23-21 but Maryland finished, taking the second set, tying the game at 1-1.
SET THREE (IOWA 25-23)
The Hawkeyes got an early 2-1 lead over the Terrapins with kills from Deery and Gibson. Maryland would go on a 7-2 run leading Iowa 8-4. The Hawkeyes would respond with a pair of kills from Deery and an ace from Worden to lead 9-8. Both teams would trade kills and would be unable to find separation from one another throughout the middle of the set. With a kill from Deery at 18-18, the Hawkeyes would begin to pull away and a kill from Gibson would have them lead 21-19. Maryland would tie the set at 21-21, forcing an Iowa timeout before two big blocks and a kill from Deery sealed the set for the Hawkeyes, going up 2-1 in the match.
SET FOUR (MARYLAND 25-23)
Iowa got up to an early 5-1 lead forcing a Maryland timeout. Kills from Urquhart and Deery would increase the lead to 8-4, with Maryland looking to catch the Hawkeyes. The set remained tight as each team tried to put together a run. Maryland was able to come back and tie the set at 14-14 from some key blocks. Urquhart would push the Hawkeyes up by two with an ace and a kill, leading 16-14. Both teams would continue to trade kills until the Terrapins were able to string a few points together to go up 24-20. The Hawkeyes would not back down and were able to fend off three set points with kills from Davis and Urquhart before Maryland closed the set out.
SET FIVE (IOWA 15-13)
Another tight set between the two teams saw Maryland get out to an early 4-2 lead forcing an early Hawkeye timeout. A kill from Deery out of the timeout brought Iowa within one at 4-3. Maryland broke ahead yet again. Some crafty plays from Iowa tied the set at 7-7. Neither team was able to get much separation until Urquhart recorded three kills and block to close out the set for the Hawkeyes and secure the win.
UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes host new B1G foe Washington at Xtream Arena Friday at 8 p.m. (CT), for a Gold Out game. Iowa will then travel to Nebraska to face off against the #2 Cornhuskers Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. in the Bob Devaney Sports Center.