CORALVILLE, Iowa – University of Iowa volleyball split the opening day of the Hawkeye Invitational, including a five-set comeback win over Delaware at Xtream Arena on Friday.
Iowa began the day with a 3-1 loss to San Jose State. The Hawkeyes were plagued by a slow start and 16 service errors. Senior Michelle Urquhart recorded a double-double with 14 kills and 10 digs. Junior setter Claire Ammeraal led Iowa with 41 assists in the opening match of the tournament.
After dropping the opening match of the tournament to San Jose State, Iowa bounced back to knock off Delaware in five sets. The Blue Hens grabbed the early lead and the teams traded sets, before Iowa won the deciding set in decisive fashion, 15-7.
Sophomore Hannah Whittingstall hit .500 with 11 kills on 20 swings. She added six blocks and two digs to her stat line. Senior libero Joy Galles dug 17 attacks and contributed six assists for the Hawkeyes. Ammeraal recorded 38 assists and 12 digs, while nearing a triple double with eight kills against Delaware.
HEAR FROM HEAD COACH JIM BARNES
“Delaware played hard and we kept fighting. We turned the momentum our way in the fourth set. Six of our seven players on the floor are new and we are still learning how to work together. I believe we grew through the adversity today.”
MATCH SUMMARY
Iowa vs. San Jose State
SET ONE (SJSU 25-16)
The Hawkeyes got off to a slow start, trailing the Spartans, 5-0, in the early going. Iowa burned two timeouts while trying to gain its footing, but could not overcome the slow start and several service errors. San Jose State led by as many as 12 in the opening set. The Hawkeyes gained some momentum, saving three set points, before the Spartans clinched set one.
SET TWO (SJSU 25-21)
Iowa regrouped and got out to an early 5-2 lead in the second set, courtesy of kills by freshman Malu Garcia, Urquhart and Whittingstall. San Jose State hung around and eventually tied the set at 10. Two kills by senior Gracie Gibson and another by Urquhart pushed the Hawkeyes in front once more. Following a Spartan timeout, San Jose State went on a run and tied the game at 17. The Spartans would win eight of the next ten points to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
SET THREE (IOWA 26-24)
The teams toggled the lead back and forth in the first few points before a 3-0 Iowa run put the Hawkeyes up, 8-5. Kills by Whittingstall and Ammeraal sandwiched a Jaimie Marquardt ace. Neither team won more than back-to-back points until the middle of the set, when the Spartans took a 17-16 lead. Iowa responded with kills from Whittingstall and freshman Dominique Phills, along with a Spartan error, to go out in front, 19-17. The set would draw even four more times before Iowa clinched the set with a termination from Urquhart and error from the Spartans.
SET FOUR (SJSU 25-19)
The fourth set featured several runs, the first of which came from San Jose State, who sprinted out to an early 4-1 lead. After Iowa tied the set at four, the Spartans tallied three consecutive kills. Iowa battled after falling behind, 9-5, putting together a 5-0 run to take its first lead of the set. The Hawkeyes’ offense clicked with Urquhart and Whittingstall. With momentum swinging to Iowa’s side, the Hawkeyes denied three consecutive Spartan attacks at the net. Blocks from Ammeraal, Whittingstall, Gibson and Phills fired up the crowd and gave Iowa a two-point lead. After a timeout, San Jose State won six of the next eight points. Trailing 19-17, Iowa called a timeout, but could not hold off the Spartans, who finished the match on a 6-1 run.
MATCH SUMMARY
Iowa vs. Delaware
SET ONE (DEL 25-18)
The Hawkeyes gave an inspired effort in the opening portion of the set, getting out to a 7-2 lead. Marquardt’s serving run led to two kills from redshirt freshman Alyssa Worden and another from Urquhart. The Blue Hens responded with a string of three points in a row, eventually tying the set at 10-10. Iowa was forced to call a timeout after four consecutive kills from the Delaware side. The Blue Hens’ offense clicked to finish the set.
SET TWO (IOWA 25-21)
It was Delaware’s turn to take an early-set lead. The Blue Hens led at 4-1 and 6-3, before Iowa capitalized on a pair of Delaware errors to tie the set at 11. With both teams looking to snag the momentum, Iowa used a mix of kills and aces to tie the set at 18. A combination of errors from Delaware and kills by Whittingstall and sophomore Gabby Deery pushed Iowa over the edge to even the match at one set apiece.
SET THREE (DEL 25-13)
The Hawkeyes fell behind early in the set, but remained within striking distance through the first 15 points. Trailing 12-5, Iowa went on a 4-0 run with kills from Deery and Worden, and an ace from Urquhart. The Blue Hens were forced to call a timeout and regrouped. Delaware dictated the second half of the set, winning 13 of the last 17 points.
SET FOUR (IOWA 25-13)
Iowa responded in the fourth, putting up six unanswered points on Urquhart’s serve. The Hawkeyes racked up five kills and an ace during that span. Iowa kept its foot on the gas with a mix of kills and Blue Hen errors. In a dominant set, the Hawkeyes’ lead expanded to 14 in the middle of the set. Iowa hit .484 in the frame with six Hawkeyes tallying kills. Delaware rallied briefly, but never came within ten points. Iowa forced a deciding fifth set on a Garcia kill.
SET FIVE (IOWA 15-7)
After trading the first six points, Iowa took control on Ammeraal’s serve. Precision placement forced the Blue Hens into a pair of errors. Leading 6-5, Iowa’s pressure impacted Delaware and drove the Blue Hens into attacking mistakes. Leading 10-5, a kill from Urquhart, three errors from Delaware and an ace from Garcia clinched the comeback win for Iowa.