Hawkeyes Drop Straight Sets Against Washington

SEATTLE – University of Iowa volleyball dropped a straight sets match at Washington on Saturday night at Alaska Airlines Arena. Iowa fell to 10-6 overall and 1-3 in conference play.

Graduate Chard’e Vanzandt led the team with seven kills and two service aces. Senior Claire Ammeraal tallied 19 assists, seven digs and three kills. Making her first career start as a Hawkeye, freshman Peyton Young recorded three kills, hit a team-high .200 and had one solo block. Redshirt freshman Hallie Steponaitis was impactful in her second start, terminating six kills with one solo block.

MATCH SUMMARY
SET ONE (WASHINGTON 25-19)
Washington got out to an early 2-0 lead before a Washington error gave Iowa its first point of the match. The Huskies successfully challenged a block touch to lead 3-1. Young recorded Iowa’s first two kills of the night to bring Iowa within one at 4-3. Steponaitis got in on the action to tie the set at 4-4 on a kill down the line. Washington sided out quickly, before freshman Carmel Vares knocked her first kill to tie the set, 5-5. Washington won the race to 10, getting its offense going and taking advantage of Iowa errors. Vanzandt stayed hot with two quick kills to keep Iowa within reach at 12-9. Trailing 14-9, Iowa called a timeout to regroup and was successful siding out on the next play. Washington found quick runs to remain out of reach from the Hawkeyes. After a few Iowa errors, the Hawkeyes called their second timeout at 18-11. Steponaitis terminated out of the timeout, which sparked the Iowa offense. A 3-0 run prompted a Huskie timeout after Ammeraal and Vanzandt each recorded kills. Iowa trailed 20-15 at that point. Both teams went kill-for-kill in the final few points of the set. The Hawkeyes fought off two set points with kills from Vares and Young before Washington closed the set.

SET TWO (WASHINGTON 25-14)
Vares got up and terminated an Ammeraal pass to tie the set 1-1. A Washington error gave Iowa its first lead of the match. Senior libero Milana Moisio dropped an ace in the back corner to put Iowa up 3-1. Washington responded by tying the set before junior Hannah Whittingstall attacked on the slide and scored her first kill. Redshirt sophomore Alyssa Worden joined in, splitting two Washington receivers for her first ace of the night. Washington, with another small run took the lead, but Ammeraal responded by going over on two to tie the set at 6-6. Washington used a 4-0 run to lead 10-6 and forced an Iowa timeout. Vanzandt responded out of the timeout for the Hawkeyes with a kill. The Huskies would capitalize on a 5-0 run to take control of the set. Going down 18-8, Iowa took its second timeout to halt the Huskie momentum. Iowa tried to start a comeback off kills from Vanzandt and Steponaitis, but could not close the gap. The Huskies finished the set on a 5-1 run, holding Iowa to a .056 hitting percentage.

SET THREE (WASHINGTON 25-11)
Iowa brought in freshman Makena Rumple, freshman Gia McGrew and sophomore Jenna Meitzler to try and change the momentum in the third set. The Hawkeye block stopped the outside attack to record its first point of the set. Young terminated from the middle to tie the set at two. The Huskies went on a 7-0 scoring run before Iowa called its first timeout. Vanzandt snapped the scoring run out of the timeout with a kill and ace, but Washington led 9-4. After trading a few errors back-and-forth, Steponaitis and Vares finished through to keep Iowa within striking distance at 12-7. Washington responded with an 11-2 run to lead 23-9. Worden smacked her first kill of the night. After Steponaitis saved a match point, Washington closed the match.

Up Next: Iowa continues its road trip, traveling to Michigan State and Michigan. The Hawkeyes return to action Friday, Oct. 10, in East Lansing to play the Spartans at 6:30 P.M. (CDT). Iowa heads over to Ann Arbor on Saturday to battle the Wolverines at 6:00 p.m. Both matches will stream on B1G+ and the Hawkeye Radio Network.