COLUMBUS, Ohio – The University of Iowa volleyball team fell to Ohio State on Thursday evening inside the Covelli Center. The Hawkeyes drop to 9-14 overall and 3-8 in conference.
This was the lone regular season meeting between Iowa and Ohio State in 2024. Iowa is now 2-3 in Big Ten matches played on the road.
Senior Gracie Gibson recorded seven kills, hitting at a .500 clip. Sophomore Hannah Whittingstall tallied seven kills with five blocks. Junior Claire Ammeraal totaled 18 assists and two kills. Senior Joy Galles lead the defense with eight digs. The Hawkeyes had four players with seven kills; Gibson, Whittingstall, senior Michelle Urquhart, and freshman Malu Garcia.
MATCH SUMMARY
SET ONE (OHIO STATE 25-21)
The Hawkeyes got out to an early 2-0 lead with a kill from Gibson and service ace from Galles. After a few rallies, the Hawkeyes took a 7-5 lead, propelled by kills from Ammeraal and freshman Dominique Phills. Both teams traded kills, before Ohio State gained a 15-13 lead. A kill from Whittingstall got Iowa within one, before the Buckeyes went on a 5-0 run to go up 20-14. Iowa would find short runs to pull within two at 23-21 before falling in the first set.
SET TWO (OHIO STATE 25-16)
Ohio State started with the early 2-0 lead when a block from Gibson and Garcia got the Hawkeyes on the board. The set remained tight with both teams trading points until Iowa found some separation at 10-8 off an Urquhart kill. A few points later, the Buckeyes would respond with a 4-0 run to lead 13-11. Ohio State continued to edge ahead of Iowa, winning the race to 20, at 20-15. Iowa was unable to close the gap, and the Buckeyes closed the set on a 4-0 to lead the match 2-0.
SET THREE (OHIO STATE 25-23)
Ohio State took the first point, before a kill from Gibson tied the set at 1-1. Both teams traded points without finding separation. Iowa would find back-to-back points on kills from Gibson and Garcia, to lead 9-8. The Buckeyes responded with a 5-0 run, forcing an Iowa timeout at 13-9. The Hawkeyes rallied out of the timeout with a 6-1 run to regain the lead at 15-14, forcing an Ohio State timeout. The rest of the set remained tight, until a 4-1 run from the Buckeyes put them up 22-18. The Hawkeyes fought back, with a 3-0 run to get within one at 23-22. A kill from Whittingstall was able to hold off a Buckeye match point, before Iowa dropped the third set, falling to Ohio State.
UP NEXT
The Hawkeyes travel to Penn State for a battle with the third-ranked Nittany Lions on Friday night. First serve is set for 5:30 p.m. (CT) and will be streamed live on B1G+ and the Hawkeye Radio Network.