Jim Barnes Head Coach | University of Iowa Athletics
Jim Barnes Head Coach | University of Iowa Athletics
The University of Iowa women's volleyball team secured a reverse sweep victory over Rutgers on Sunday at Xtream Arena in Coralville. After losing the first two sets, the Hawkeyes came back to win the next three, marking their first reverse sweep since 2022 against Michigan. The win brings Iowa's record to 12-10 overall and 3-7 in Big Ten play.
Junior Hannah Whittingstall led Iowa with her first double-double of the season, tallying 14 kills and tying her career high with 10 blocks. She also posted a .636 hitting percentage. Alyssa Worden contributed another double-double, recording 10 kills and a team-high 10 digs.
Freshman Carmel Vares added 12 kills and four blocks, while graduate Chard’e Vanzandt had 11 kills, six blocks, and an ace. Senior setter Claire Ammeraal finished with 43 assists along with nine kills, six blocks, six digs, and two aces.
Despite Rutgers finishing with more total kills (62-58), Iowa outperformed in several key areas. The Hawkeyes hit .323 compared to Rutgers' .220 and held their opponent to a .000 hitting percentage in the decisive fifth set. Iowa also recorded more than twice as many blocks as Rutgers (16.5-8), setting a season high for team blocks.
Rutgers led in service aces (10-9) but committed more errors from the line (16) than Iowa (12). Sophomore Jaimie Marquardt notched a career-high four aces for Iowa.
The match featured significant back-and-forth play with 32 ties and 16 lead changes across five sets.
Head coach Jim Barnes commented on his team's performance: “We blocked well today. Our blockers were lined up better and we’ve been working on team blocking lately. We finished with 16.5 blocks. Offensively, we had kills by several different players. The team was very efficient after the first couple of sets. Claire (Ammeraal) ran a great offense today. Hannah (Whittingstall) and Claire were difference makers this weekend. The two of them connected well. The consistent slide threat balances our offense.”
Iowa will begin a four-match road trip starting at Northwestern on October 31 at 7:00 p.m., with coverage available via B1G+ streaming service and the Hawkeye Radio Network.
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