SEATTLE, WASHINGTON — Iowa volleyball pushed No. 20 Washington through three tightly contested sets Friday, October 30, but the Hawkeyes could not turn an early lead into a ranked road victory, falling 3-1 at Alaska Airlines Arena.
Iowa won the opener 26-24 before Washington claimed the next three sets, 25-23, 27-25 and 25-11. The loss dropped the Hawkeyes to 13-12 overall and 2-9 in Big Ten play.
Rosa Vesty paced Iowa with 15 kills, leading the Hawkeye offense for the fifth time this season and the second straight match. Hallie Steponaitis added 11 kills, while Hannah Whittingstall finished with 10.
Vesty also helped power Iowa’s recent five-set victory over UCLA.
Liv Mogridge delivered an efficient night in the middle, recording eight kills without an error on 12 attempts for a season-best .667 hitting percentage.
Setter Jenna Meitzler reached 1,000 assists for the season early in the second set. Iowa hit .195 overall, including marks above .300 in the first and third sets.
Henlee Moszcowicz led the back row with 13 digs, and Whittingstall recorded three blocks. Iowa finished with advantages in kills, 53-48, and digs, 40-39, but Washington held the edge in service aces and blocks.
Vesty powers Iowa through a tight opening set
The first set featured 11 ties and five lead changes before Iowa secured the final two points.
A Ksenija Tomic kill gave the Hawkeyes a 15-13 lead at the media timeout, and Vesty later stretched the advantage to 20-17. With Washington continuing to answer, Vesty delivered kills that put Iowa ahead 23-22 and then 24-22.
The Huskies erased both set points, but another Vesty kill restored Iowa’s lead. Meitzler and Whittingstall then combined for the winning block.
Vesty accounted for eight kills in the opener as Iowa hit .316.
Washington edges Hawkeyes in second and third sets
Iowa built another early lead in the second set, moving ahead 8-5 on a Meitzler kill. Whittingstall contributed a kill and an ace during a stretch that put Iowa up 16-15, and Steponaitis kept the Hawkeyes ahead 17-16 while opening her night with five kills on five attempts.
Washington eventually reached set point, but Iowa fought off three chances. A Steponaitis block and a Carmel Vares ace helped bring the Hawkeyes within 24-23 before the Huskies finished the set.
The third set brought another missed opportunity for Iowa.
After falling behind 5-0, the Hawkeyes worked their way back. Defensive specialist Allison Berent recorded her first career kill off a dig to tie the score at 10-10.
Iowa later moved ahead 19-17 during a three-point run and led 21-19 following a Tomic kill. Jaimie Marquardt’s service ace eventually gave the Hawkeyes set point at 25-24.
Washington responded out of a timeout with three consecutive points, taking the set and a 2-1 match lead.
Hawkeye volleyball heads to No. 12 Oregon
Iowa opened the fourth set with consecutive kills from Mogridge and Tomic and held a 5-3 advantage after another Meitzler-Whittingstall block. Washington then took control with a 13-2 run and pulled away to finish the match.
The Hawkeyes continue their road trip against No. 12 Oregon on Sunday, November 1. First serve is scheduled for 3 p.m. Central, with streaming coverage on B1G+ and audio coverage through the Hawkeye Radio Network.