Hawkeyes Fall in 5 Sets to Weber State

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – University of Iowa volleyball fell to Weber State in five sets during the final match of the SEMO Invitational on Saturday afternoon. The Hawkeyes drop to 7-2 on the season. Iowa is 1-2 in five-set matches in 2025.

Weber State had 13 aces with 15 service errors, while Iowa tallied a season-high 10 aces and six errors.

Freshman Carmel Vares set a career high with 19 kills. She also hit .548. On the weekend, Vares recorded 39 kills. Senior Milana Moisio held down the defense and matched her career high with 18 digs and two service aces. Junior Hannah Whittingstall equaled her career high of four service aces, while posting a team-high seven blocks. Whittingstall also contributed five kills.

Sophomore Aleksandra Stojanovic was efficient at the net, recording seven kills and hitting a team-high .875. Senior Claire Ammeraal dished out 43 assists, seven kills, and five blocks. Graduate student Chard’e Vanzandt had 10 kills, totaling 40 throughout the weekend.

MATCH SUMMARY
SET ONE (WEBER STATE 25-23)
A Whittingstall slide got the Hawkeyes on the board at 1-1. Vanzandt and Vares joined the action with kills of their own to tie the set at three-all. Weber State found a little separation at 5-3 off a kill and ace. Iowa’s offense worked through Vares with her third kill giving Iowa the lead at 7-6. Junior Greta Schlichter found the seam for an ace to put Iowa up, 8-6. Both teams were able to side out quickly in the opening set. A pair of blocks from the Hawkeyes gave Iowa an 11-9 advantage. Redshirt Sophomore Alyssa Worden terminated her first kill as Iowa kept its lead at 12-10. Both teams used small rallies through the middle of the set. Stojanovic and Gabby Deery found the floor to give Iowa the lead back at 15-14. Worden fired an ace down the line to keep Iowa in front at 18-16. The Wildcats found three points in a row, including an ace to force an Iowa timeout. Weber State built its lead to three at 21-18. Two kills from Vanzandt and a kill from Vares pulled Iowa within one at 23-22. Ammeraal and Stojanovic connected to save a set point before the Wildcats were able to take set one.

SET TWO (IOWA 25-21)
Weber State began the set with three quick points to lead 3-0. Iowa got on the board on an Ammeraal kill and Whittingstall ace. Weber State pushed a few more points across to go ahead 7-4. Back-to-back kills from Vares and an ace from Moisio tied the set at 7-7. Iowa gained its first lead of the set on an ace from Whittingstall and a block from Vanzandt and Stojanovic at 12-11. Another Whittingstall ace ballooned Iowa’s lead. In the middle of the set, Deery pummeled a kill after a long rally. An off-speed attack from Stojanovic found the floor, as Iowa maintained its three-point lead. Whittingstall and Ammeraal stopped a Wildcat attack to go up four, 20-16. Another block from Whittingstall and Ammeraal found the deep corner. Whittingstall was successful on the slide and Vanzandt hammered a pair of kills to seal the set for the Hawkeyes. Iowa hit .480 with 14 kills and two errors on 25 swings.

SET THREE (WEBER STATE 25-16)
A Vanzandt kill scored Iowa’s first point of the set. Iowa’s first lead of the set came at 5-4, off the arm of Vares. Jaimie Marquardt served well and found a gap for an ace. Following a Weber State timeout, the Wildcats went on an 11-3 run to take control of the set. Vanzandt recorded her tenth kill during a 4-0 run from Iowa to pull within seven at 22-15. Weber State finished out the set on a big run to take the lead in the match.

SET FOUR (IOWA 25-22)
Emily Lavin and Hallie Steponaitis started for the Hawkeyes in the fourth set. Whittingstall and Steponaitis got up together for a block and Vares terminated her 13th kill as Iowa gained momentum. Weber State pushed back before Vares smacked a kill to tie the set at 4-4. A few Wildcat errors gave Iowa the lead at 7-6. Marquardt found Ammeraal for a kill. Both teams were not able to find much separation and traded points back-and-forth. Whittingstall converted on an Ammeraal set to give Iowa a 15-14 lead. Whittingstall and Ammeraal denied back-to-back attacks from the Wildcats. Iowa found its defensive timing as Ammeraal and Stojanovic teamed up for the team’s fourth block of the set. Iowa won the race to 20 and held a three-point lead. A Wildcat foot fault gifted Iowa a point at 21-18. Vares hammered her 16th kill and stopped a quick run from Weber State at 23-20. Weber State saved two set points before Whittingstall terminated to give Iowa the set.

SET FIVE (WEBER STATE 15-9)
Weber State got out of the gates with an early 3-1 lead. Vares notched her 17th kill to pull Iowa within one at 3-2. Weber State found momentum with a block and ace to lead 6-2. Steponaitis put away a dish from Ammeraal, but Iowa trailed 7-3. Ammeraal kept Iowa within striking distance with a kill. The Hawkeyes called a timeout after a Weber State ace extended the Wildcat lead to 12-5. The Hawkeyes got within five on two Wildcat errors. A kill from Vares sided out the Hawkeyes at 13-8. Ultimately Iowa was unable to come back, dropping the set and match to Weber State in five.

Up Next: The Hawkeyes begin a five-match homestand on Wednesday evening, hosting Iowa State in the annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series match. First serve is set for 6:00 p.m. (CT) at Xtream Arena.