Hawkeyes Drop Finale to No. 25 Penn State

CORALVILLE, Iowa – University of Iowa volleyball fell in its season finale to 25th-ranked Penn State on Saturday night. The Hawkeyes finish the season 15-17 and 6-14 in the Big Ten.

Penn State won the first two sets, 25-22 and 25-21. Iowa fought back and won set three, 25-22. The Nittany Lions won the fourth set, 25-20, to take the match.

Outside hitters Chard’e Vanzandt and Alyssa Worden had career nights against the Nittany Lions. Vanzandt matched her career high with 22 kills to lead the Hawkeyes, while Worden finished with a career-best 17. In her final match as a Hawkeye, Vanzandt notched a double-double, adding 12 digs to her stat line.

Senior setter Claire Ammeraal finished her career with her 12th double-double, tallying 43 assists and 15 digs. She added eight kills and hit .333.

Iowa’s back row was active. Senior libero Milana Moisio neared a double-double with 14 digs and nine assists. Moisio finished the season with 451 digs in her lone season as a Hawkeye. Sophomore Jaimie Marquardt set a career high with 14 digs.

HEAR FROM HEAD COACH JIM BARNES
“These players and this team all pulled in the same direction each and every day. As a coach, it’s rare to have people that are committed and unified consistently. That is what I will remember about this team. We left some games on the table this season. There were games we could have pulled out and some what-ifs. It will be so difficult to replace our three seniors. This season was a giant step forward for the program.”

MATCH SUMMARY
SET ONE (PENN STATE 25-22)
Vanzandt got Iowa on the board with a termination from the left side. Penn State started on a 6-1 run after three early errors from the Hawkeyes. After falling behind 7-1, Iowa rattled off three points in a row to close the deficit. Ammeraal and Worden both struck from the front row to get Iowa within two at 9-7. The Nittany Lions built back their lead to 12-7 on two kills and a block. Iowa used a 3-0 run to cut the deficit to one at 12-11 and forced a Penn State timeout. A kill from Vanzandt tied the set at 13-13. Penn State grabbed two kills and a block to get a three-point lead over the Hawkeyes. Iowa rallied back and grabbed the lead on a kill from Ammeraal. Penn State used a 5-0 run to gain separation late in the set. Worden terminated from the left side on back-to-back points to keep Iowa in the set, trailing 23-21. A kill from Worden saved one set point before a Nittany Lion kill won the set.

SET TWO (PENN STATE 25-21)
Iowa went up 3-2 off the arms of Vanzandt and Carmel Vares. Hannah Whittingstall executed on the slide before Vanzandt gave Iowa a 5-2 lead. Penn State responded with three points of its own to tie the set. The set went back and forth before the Nittany Lions pushed a 4-0 run to take a 12-8 lead and Iowa called a timeout. Worden was successful down the line out of the timeout to slow the momentum. Vanzandt smacked her 11th kill to pull Iowa within four at 16-12, but Penn State was able to pull away in the middle points. Trailing 20-13, Iowa called its second timeout of the set. Iowa strung together five points in a row, with Worden serving two aces before Penn State called a timeout at 23-19. The Hawkeyes built a 6-0 run at the end of the set to draw within three before an Iowa service error gave Penn State the set.

SET THREE (IOWA 25-22)
Iowa charged out to a 4-1 lead on kills from Whittingstall and Vares and a Marquardt ace. After an ace from Vanzandt, Penn State called a timeout with Iowa leading, 7-2. Worden’s 13th kill ballooned Iowa’s lead to 9-4. Iowa won the race to ten on a kill from Ammeraal, doubling up the Nittany Lions at 10-5. After a brief Penn State run, a kill from Worden and an ace from Whittingstall cooled the comeback, as the Hawkeyes led, 17-12. Later, Iowa built its lead back to five on a kill from Vares from the right side. Iowa called a timeout leading 21-18 after Penn State came back within three. Penn State won the next two points and Iowa used its final timeout. Vanzandt terminated to stop the run and Iowa led, 22-20. A Penn State error put Iowa two points away from a set win. Worden’s 15th kill sealed the set win for the Hawkeyes.

SET FOUR (PENN STATE 25-20)
Vanzandt’s 17th kill gave Iowa an early 3-2 lead. Iowa led 6-3 on a block from Ammeraal. The Hawkeyes led 8-6 before a 4-0 run from Penn State forced an Iowa timeout. Neither team found much separation from one another through the middle points. Iowa used a Whittingstall ace to pull within one at 17-16 but the Hawkeyes could not overtake the Nittany Lions. Penn State took a 23-19 lead before a kill from Vanzandt brought the Hawkeyes within three. Penn State used a kill and service ace to finish the match.

The Hawkeyes (15-17, 6-14 B1G) finished the 2025 campaign with the program’s most total and conference wins since 2016.