CORALVILLE — Iowa Hawkeye volleyball shook off a second-set setback and took control down the stretch Saturday afternoon, knocking off Texas Tech in four sets at Xtream Arena.
The Hawkeyes earned the September 19 victory by scores of 25-22, 22-25, 25-20 and 25-19, improving to 9-3 overall and 2-0 at the Kwik Star Klassic.
Ksenija Tomic powered Iowa’s attack with 15 kills, while Hallie Steponaitis followed Friday’s career-best performance with 14 more. Liv Mogridge supplied 12 kills from the middle.
Setter Jenna Meitzler directed the offense with 46 assists and made her presence felt defensively with seven blocks. Libero Henlee Moszkowicz led Iowa’s back row with 12 digs.
The victory came one day after the Hawkeyes survived a five-set battle against West Florida in the tournament opener.
Hawkeyes grab opening set
Texas Tech jumped ahead 3-0 in the opening set before Mogridge put Iowa on the board. The Hawkeyes gradually found their rhythm and moved in front 11-8 behind the arm of Steponaitis.
The Red Raiders pulled even at 14-14, setting up a back-and-forth finish. Iowa captured the final two points behind a Mogridge kill to the back line and a Texas Tech error, taking the set 25-22.
Texas Tech answered in the second, building an early 6-2 advantage and maintaining enough separation to even the match with a 25-22 victory.
Iowa made a late push behind a serving run from Jaimie Marquardt, who delivered two aces, but the Red Raiders closed the frame with a kill.
Iowa rallies, then pulls away
The Hawkeyes found themselves in another early hole in the third set, trailing 6-1 before Steponaitis and Tomic helped spark a comeback.
Iowa tied the score at 13-13 and took advantage of three consecutive Texas Tech errors while Marquardt served. Mogridge, Steponaitis and Tomic then delivered kills during the closing stretch as the Hawkeyes completed the rally, 25-20.
Iowa carried that momentum into the fourth set.
Steponaitis served the Hawkeyes to a 6-1 lead, while Mogridge and Tomic continued hammering the Texas Tech defense. Iowa’s advantage eventually grew to 11 points following a kill from Hannah Whittingstall.
The Red Raiders made one final push and trimmed the margin to five at 21-16, but Meitzler stopped the run with a kill. Mogridge and Carmel Vares finished the match with consecutive kills, sealing the fourth set 25-19.
Iowa will close the Kwik Star Klassic against Central Arkansas at 1 p.m. Sunday inside Xtream Arena.