Iowa City Today

The University of Iowa women's volleyball team secured a 3-0 victory over Loyola Chicago on Saturday at Xtream Arena, winning the Kwik Star Klassic and improving to a 6-0 record for the season. This start matches the program’s best since 2009 and marks only the fourth time in school history that Iowa has opened with six consecutive wins. The Hawkeyes now hold a 6-2 all-time record against Loyola Chicago.

Senior setter Claire Ammeraal achieved her second double-double of the season, tallying 30 assists and 12 digs. Senior libero Milana Moisio contributed 12 digs, five assists, and two aces. Pin hitters Carmel Vares and Chard’e Vanzandt led offensively with 11 and 10 kills respectively, each hitting above .250.

Iowa finished with a .255 hitting percentage while limiting Loyola Chicago to .189. Despite being out-blocked by Loyola Chicago 10-5, Iowa held an advantage in digs at 45-40.

Head coach Jim Barnes commented on his team’s performance: “We have very talented student-athletes that are committed to working hard and doing what it takes to turn this program into a winner. Every player on our team came here with the mindset to do just that. This team plays for each other more than any team I’ve had here. We played consistent enough to not drop a set. While we didn’t play great, we gutted out the close points and made the plays when we needed to late in sets. That is a good sign. Our team learned a lot this weekend.”

In the match summary, Iowa won each set: 25-23, 25-23, and 25-18. The first set saw Iowa take an early lead before Loyola tied it late; however, key plays from Stojanovic and Vanzandt helped secure the win for Iowa. The second set was closely contested with multiple ties and lead changes before Iowa closed it out with strong offensive plays from Vares and Whittingstall. In the third set, after falling behind during a run by Loyola Chicago, Iowa regained momentum through service aces from Moisio and maintained control until closing out the match.

Iowa did not lose a single set during the tournament. Claire Ammeraal was named tournament MVP after posting totals of 87 assists, 31 digs, and 16 kills across nine sets played. Milana Moisio received defensive MVP honors for her performance in the back row with 38 digs, 13 assists, and four service aces throughout the event. Aleksandra Stojanovic (sophomore) and Hannah Whittingstall (junior) were also named to the all-tournament team after recording high kill numbers while maintaining efficient hitting percentages.

Next week, Iowa will compete at the SEMO Invitational in Cape Girardeau, Missouri from September 11–13. Their opening match is scheduled for Thursday evening at Houck Field House; fans can watch via ESPN+ or listen live on the Hawkeye Radio Network.