CORALVILLE — Iowa volleyball climbed out of a two-set hole and built an 8-4 lead in the deciding set, but USC slammed the door with an 11-1 closing run to defeat the Hawkeyes on October 22, 2026, at Xtream Arena.
The 20-25, 22-25, 25-16, 30-28, 9-15 loss dropped Iowa to 12-11 overall and 1-8 in the Big Ten despite four Hawkeyes reaching double figures in kills and the team producing its best hitting percentage against a conference opponent this season.
Hannah Whittingstall matched her career high with 16 kills, while Jenna Meitzler delivered 48 assists, 11 digs, five kills, four blocks and three service aces.
The result followed another competitive conference outing in which Iowa ended a 31-set drought against Wisconsin before falling to the sixth-ranked Badgers.
Hawkeyes rally from two sets down
USC won the opening two sets, weathering Iowa rallies in both.
The Hawkeyes hit .375 in the first set and pulled even at 16-16 following a Whittingstall-Meitzler block and Jaimie Marquardt service ace. The Trojans gained separation with a late 6-1 run and took the opener, 25-20.
In the second set, USC used another 6-1 surge to build a 17-10 advantage. Peyton Young powered Iowa’s response with a series of kills, and Meitzler helped keep the Hawkeyes alive late with a solo block and a kill. USC nevertheless finished the set, 25-22, to move within one set of victory.
Iowa’s turnaround began after falling behind 10-6 in the third.
Ksenija Tomic sparked a 12-1 Hawkeye run that changed the match. Whittingstall contributed a block and an ace, Hallie Steponaitis delivered consecutive kills, and Meitzler added a block as Iowa surged ahead 18-11.
Tomic finished the set with three straight kills, securing a 25-16 victory and extending the match.
Reversed point keeps Iowa alive in fourth
The fourth set delivered the night’s most dramatic stretch.
Iowa opened with a 4-0 lead, but USC answered and eventually moved ahead 19-16. The Hawkeyes fought back as the teams repeatedly traded leads and ties.
Facing match point, Steponaitis delivered a kill to keep Iowa alive. USC appeared to finish the match on the next play, but the point was reversed in Iowa’s favor, tying the set at 24-24.
The battle continued into extra points. Tomic put Iowa ahead 28-27, Whittingstall restored the lead at 29-28, and Tomic supplied the final kill for a 30-28 victory.
After losing the first two sets, Iowa had forced a fifth.
USC takes control after Iowa’s fast start
The Hawkeyes carried their momentum into the deciding set.
Aces from Whittingstall and Meitzler helped Iowa establish an early advantage. Steponaitis added a kill, and a USC error completed a 4-0 run that forced a Trojan timeout with Iowa leading 6-2.
A combined block from Tomic and Young sent the Hawkeyes into the changeover ahead 8-4.
USC then took control, winning 11 of the final 12 points. The Trojans scored the last nine points consecutively to claim the set, 15-9, and the match.
“We played point-by-point all the way up to 8-4 in the fifth set, and then we let up the 11-1 run,” Iowa coach Jim Barnes said.
Barnes credited Iowa’s tougher serving and improved defense during the comeback but said the Hawkeyes needed that approach from the beginning.
“What we want to see is playing a much better serve and defense game right from set one,” he said.
Whittingstall leads balanced offensive effort
Whittingstall led Iowa in kills for the first time since its August 29 match against UAlbany.
Tomic finished with 14 kills on 31 swings, Young added 12 and Steponaitis contributed 10. Meitzler’s double-double helped Iowa hit .297, its highest mark against a Big Ten opponent this season.
Henlee Moszkowicz also established a career high with nine assists.
Iowa finished with eight service aces to USC’s five and held a 52-43 advantage in digs. It was the Hawkeyes’ first loss this season when recording more digs than their opponent.
The defeat left Iowa 1-2 in five-set matches.