STARKVILLE, MISSISSIPPI — Iowa’s hot start to the volleyball season hit another roadblock Friday afternoon as Alabama’s powerful attack proved too much for the Hawkeyes in a four-set battle.
The Crimson Tide knocked off Iowa 25-22, 21-25, 25-20, 25-18 inside the Newell-Grissom Building, dropping the Hawkeyes to 3-2 on the season.
Iowa entered the week after opening the season 3-0 and capturing the Black Knight Invitational championship, but Alabama consistently found holes in the Hawkeye defense Friday.
Fifth-year middle Liv Mogridge delivered one of the best offensive performances of her Iowa career, pounding a career-high 15 kills on 29 attacks while hitting .448.
Hannah Whittingstall was even more efficient, hammering 13 kills without committing an attacking error and finishing with a team-best .591 hitting percentage.
The two Iowa middles combined for 28 of the Hawkeyes’ 56 kills.
Carmel Vares added 11 kills and Hallie Steponaitis finished with 10.
Setter Jenna Meitzler recorded her second double-double of the weekend, handing out 42 assists while collecting 11 digs. She also chipped in three kills.
Iowa libero Jaimie Marquardt finished with 11 digs, while freshman Henlee Moszkowicz collected 10.
The Hawkeyes finished the match hitting a respectable .261, but Alabama operated at another level offensively.
The Crimson Tide hit .360 with 63 kills and only 14 attacking errors. Iowa committed 21 attacking errors.
Alabama also held a 6-2 advantage in service aces and edged Iowa 51-48 in digs.
The Hawkeyes showed early fight.
Alabama captured a back-and-forth opening set 25-22 despite Iowa pulling within 21-20 late behind consecutive Vares kills.
Iowa responded in the second.
The Hawkeyes erased an 8-5 deficit with a six-point run behind Meitzler’s serve. Consecutive blocks involving Mogridge and Steponaitis helped Iowa surge in front, and the Hawkeyes outhit Alabama .351 to .227 in the frame.
Mogridge finished off the set with a kill to give Iowa a 25-21 victory and even the match.
Alabama regained command in the third set.
The Crimson Tide built a 17-10 advantage before Iowa mounted a five-point rally behind kills from Vares and Mogridge. Whittingstall and Mogridge kept the Hawkeyes within striking distance, but Alabama held on for the 25-20 win.
Iowa again jumped ahead early in the fourth set, taking a 4-2 advantage behind kills from Whittingstall, Steponaitis and Vares.
Then Alabama exploded.
A 10-1 Crimson Tide run flipped control of the set and left Iowa scrambling to recover. Marquardt delivered an ace and Iowa managed to pull within four at 14-10, but Alabama refused to surrender the advantage and closed out the match 25-18.
Iowa recorded only four blocks in the match, with Mogridge involved in three.
The Hawkeyes are now 15-23-1 all-time against current Southeastern Conference opponents.
Iowa returns to the state Tuesday for another rivalry showdown, traveling to Ames to face Iowa State in the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series.
The match details, statistics and set results come from Iowa Athletics’ Sept. 4 release.