Jim Barnes Head Coach | University of Iowa Athletics
Jim Barnes Head Coach | University of Iowa Athletics
The University of Iowa women's volleyball team began its 2025 season with a straight-set victory over UNLV at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas on Friday night. This match marked the first meeting between the two programs.
Under head coach Jim Barnes, the Hawkeyes have now won four consecutive season openers. Senior Chard’e Vanzandt led Iowa with 11 kills and a .222 hitting percentage. Junior Hannah Whittingstall contributed eight blocks, while freshman Carmel Vares added seven blocks. Senior Claire Ammeraal recorded 28 assists and posted a team-high .462 hitting percentage. On defense, senior Milana Moisio tallied 11 digs.
Head coach Jim Barnes said, "The team was able to pull together and we showed a lot of toughness tonight. We executed well on defense tonight, which allowed us to stay in the game. Claire (Ammeraal) was a difference maker throughout the match and was able to give us some momentum by putting a few balls away. Carmel (Vares), Hannah (Whittingstall) and Chard’e (Vanzandt) stayed consistent for us offensively, and helped to close out each set.”
In the opening set, Iowa jumped out to an early lead before UNLV closed the gap midway through. Key blocks from Alyssa Worden, Whittingstall, and Vares helped secure a 25-22 win for Iowa.
The second set saw both teams trading points until UNLV went on a run to take the lead. The Hawkeyes responded after a timeout and regained control late in the set, finishing with strong plays from Vanzandt, Worden, and Vares for another 25-21 win.
The third set remained close until Iowa pulled ahead following kills from Vares and errors by UNLV. Jamie Marquardt’s ace extended Iowa’s advantage as they maintained their lead despite late efforts from UNLV. The Hawkeyes held their opponent to just a .028 hitting percentage in the final set and secured the sweep with another kill from Vanzandt.
Iowa will play Utah Tech next on Saturday evening at 6:00 p.m. Central Time. The match will be available via streaming on the UNLV Athletics YouTube channel and broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network.
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