CORALVILLE — Iowa Hawkeye volleyball slammed the door at the net Tuesday night, piling up a season-high 18.5 blocks and beating Milwaukee in four sets to give the Hawkeyes their best start in two decades.
Iowa defeated Milwaukee 22-25, 25-20, 25-22 and 25-17 on September 22 at Xtream Arena, improving to 11-3 overall while extending its winning streak to five matches. The 11-3 start is Iowa’s best since the 2006 season.
The Hawkeyes entered the matchup with plenty of momentum after steamrolling Central Arkansas in straight sets to capture the Kwik Star Klassic championship. That victory had pushed Iowa to 10-3 and four consecutive wins.
Milwaukee briefly threatened to spoil the run.
The Panthers grabbed the opening set 25-22 despite Iowa hitting .423 and committing only one attack error. Iowa held a 15-13 advantage before Milwaukee erupted on a six-point run and eventually closed out the set.
From there, the Hawkeye block took over.
Iowa recorded a remarkable 7.5 blocks in the second set alone, frustrating Milwaukee into a .047 hitting percentage. The Hawkeyes broke away late with a 5-0 run, then finished the frame on four straight points for a 25-20 victory.
Hannah Whittingstall teamed with Rosa Vesty and Jenna Meitzler for key blocks as Iowa repeatedly turned away Milwaukee attacks at the net.
Iowa carried the momentum into the third set with a 5-0 opening run fueled by consecutive kills from Liv Mogridge and another from Hallie Steponaitis.
Milwaukee battled back and briefly moved ahead 15-14, but Mogridge answered with a kill before Whittingstall hammered an overpass to help Iowa regain control. The Panthers pulled within 23-21 late, but Iowa closed out the set 25-22.
There would be no comeback in the fourth.
Iowa used another 5-0 surge to take an 8-5 lead and never trailed again. Mogridge delivered consecutive kills late before Meitzler finished Milwaukee off with a service ace for the 25-17 victory.
Mogridge delivered one of the biggest performances of her Hawkeye career, smashing a career-high 16 kills while hitting .565 on 23 attacks.
Whittingstall was even more efficient, putting down 15 kills without committing an attack error and finishing with a scorching .625 hitting percentage.
Ksenija Tomic added 10 kills, while Steponaitis contributed seven.
Meitzler ran the Iowa offense with 50 assists as the Hawkeyes hit .347 for the match. She also added two service aces and two kills.
Henlee Moszkowicz supplied two aces and led Iowa with 12 digs.
But the story of the night was Iowa’s defense.
Meitzler, Mogridge and Whittingstall each recorded eight blocks as Iowa’s 18.5 team blocks became the second-highest total by a Big Ten team this season.
The victory continued a strong September stretch that has seen Iowa knock off a variety of opponents. The Hawkeyes previously took down Texas Tech in four sets and swept in-state rival Drake behind a season-best offensive attack.
Iowa has now won 11 nonconference matches, also its highest total since 2006, and improved to 8-1 all-time against Milwaukee.
The Hawkeyes now turn their attention to Big Ten volleyball.
Iowa will open conference play Friday against Ohio State at Xtream Arena. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m.