By Kyle Mann
Amid the commotion of everything happening in Iowa City this past weekend, the Iowa volleyball team hit the dusty trail to take on No. 11 Wisconsin in Madison on Nov. 14.
The Hawkeyes were defeated in straight sets, dropping to 12-17 overall, 2-14 in the Big Ten. Wisconsin moves to 20-6 and 12-4.
The match began with a closely contested first set, which saw the teams trade points back and forth until about midway through the set. Wisconsin mounted a 3-0 run to gain separation and go up, 14-10, and used it to cruise the rest of the way to a 25-20 victory.
Iowa has played top competition all season long, and despite a less-than-stellar record to show for it, has played well against even its best opponents. On Nov. 14, however, that largely stopped after the first set.
The Hawkeyes hit only .097 in the second set, and the Badgers hit .654 with 18 kills. Using a 6-0 run in the early going, Wisconsin dominated and coasted to a 25-11 victory.
The Badger momentum carried into the third set, which saw Iowa plummet to a .000 hitting percentage. The Iowa offense was out of sorts all night and also had to deal with being out-blocked, 8-2. The Hawkeyes could never string together anything of substance, and dropped the final set, 25-14.
Jess Janota led the Hawkeyes with 8 kills on .462 attacking, but she was largely the only offensive weapon for head coach Bond Shymansky. The team collectively hit a mere .106.
It was another difficult night for the Hawkeyes, but the only option for the team is to keep trying.
“Our girls have an outstanding amount of optimism right now,” Shymansky said in a release. “I think they see and feel both the challenge and the reward of playing in the Big Ten. We are still proud of what we are giving, chasing and working toward.”
Iowa will host Ohio State on Wednesday.
