Hawkeyes Match Program’s Best Start with Sweep of Loyola Chicago

CORALVILLE, Iowa – University of Iowa volleyball won the Kwik Star Klassic with a sweep of Loyola Chicago on Saturday afternoon at Xtream Arena. Iowa improves to 6-0, matching the best start in program history since 2009. This is the fourth time in school history the Hawkeyes have started 6-0. Iowa is now 6-2 all-time against Loyola Chicago.

Senior setter Claire Ammeraal recorded her second double-double of the season with 30 assists and 12 digs. Senior libero Milana Moisio recorded 12 digs, five assists, and two aces in the win. Pin hitters Carmel Vares and Chard’e Vanzandt terminated 11 and 10 kills, respectively, and hitting above .250.

As a team, Iowa hit .255 and held Loyola Chicago to .189. The Hawkeyes were out-blocked by the Ramblers, 10-5, but held the advantage in digs at 45-40.

HEAR FROM HEAD COACH JIM BARNES
“We have very talented student-athletes that are committed to working hard and doing what it takes to turn this program into a winner. Every player on our team came here with the mindset to do just that. This team plays for each other more than any team I’ve had here. We played consistent enough to not drop a set. While we didn’t play great, we gutted out the close points and made the plays when we needed to late in sets. That is a good sign. Our team learned a lot this weekend.”

MATCH SUMMARY
SET ONE (IOWA 25-23)
Vares started hot with a kill to give Iowa the first point of the match. A Jaimie Marquardt ace and kills from Whittingstall and Vanzandt put the Hawkeyes up 6-2. Worden found the baseline for an ace, leading to a Loyola timeout. Iowa won the race to 10 on a Loyola error. Stojanovic’s first kill and a kill from Vares gave the Hawkeyes their largest lead at 13-7. Iowa continued to build a lead against the Ramblers off the arms of pin hitters Vares and Vanzandt, extending its lead to 18-12. Loyola found a few points, but a strong swing from Vanzandt stopped the comeback at 19-15. A 5-0 run from the Ramblers tied the set at 20 all. A kill from Stojanovic and a block from Stojanovic and Vanzandt gave Iowa a 22-20 advantage. Loyola responded with a 3-1 run and forced an Iowa timeout. A successful Iowa challenge gave the Hawkeyes set point, and Iowa took the set on a Vares kill. Vares and Vanzandt teamed up for seven kills and the Hawkeyes hit at a .306 clip.

SET TWO (IOWA 25-23)
Vares remained dominant in the second set for the Hawkeyes, finding the floor for Iowa’s first point of the set. A solo block from Whittingstall knotted the set at 2-2. Both teams traded kills before Ammeraal terminated to push Iowa in front, 6-5. Iowa won the race to 10 off an ace from Ammeraal. Three blocks in a row from the Ramblers tied the set at 13-13. A setter dump from Ammeraal to the campfire tied the second set at 14. The set remained back-and-forth, with both teams finding a response for the other. Vanzandt and Vares smoked back-to-back kills to give Iowa the 20-18 advantage. Out of a timeout, the Ramblers climbed back to even up the set at 22. The Hawkeyes won three of the next four points on kills from Vares and Whittingstall, and a Rambler error. The set saw 15 ties and seven lead changes.

SET THREE (IOWA 25-18)
Iowa had energy from the get-go with a block from Stojanovic and Vares to put the Hawkeyes up 1-0. Iowa gained momentum from its pins with three more kills from Vanzandt and one from Vares to lead 7-5. A 6-1 run from the Ramblers gave them the lead at 11-8. Iowa battled and, after a side out and back-to-back aces from Moisio, came back to tie the set at 11. Two Loyola errors and an Iowa block kept the Hawkeyes in front at the media timeout, 15-12. Kills from redshirt freshman Hallie Steponaitis and Whittingstall allowed Iowa to keep its distance from Loyola. Vanzandt’s tenth kill of the night put Iowa up 19-14. Loyola could not close the distance and kills from Ammeraal and Deery gave Iowa match point at 24-17. A Rambler hitting error secured the match. Iowa’s defense tightened up in the third set, as the Hawkeyes held Loyola to a .048 hitting mark.

Iowa did not drop a set in the Kwik Star Klassic and was crowned champions on Saturday. Senior Claire Ammeraal was named the tournament MVP after posting 87 assists, 31 digs, and 16 kills in the nine sets played. Senior Milana Moisio was the defensive MVP, holding down the back row for the Hawkeyes with 38 digs, 13 assists and four service aces. Sophomore Aleksandra Stojanovic and junior Hannah Whittingstall were named to the all-tournament team, recording 18 and 23 kills, respectively, and each hitting over .450.

Up Next: Iowa travels to the SEMO Invitational in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Sept. 11-13. The Hawkeyes play Thursday evening at 6:00 p.m. at the Houck Field House. The match will be streamed on ESPN+ and broadcast live on the Hawkeye Radio Network.