CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – University of Iowa volleyball fell to Weber State in five sets during the final match of the SEMO Invitational on Saturday afternoon. The Hawkeyes drop to 7-2 on the season. Iowa is 1-2 in five-set matches in 2025.
Weber State had 13 aces with 15 service errors, while Iowa tallied a season-high 10 aces and six errors.
Freshman Carmel Vares set a career high with 19 kills. She also hit .548. On the weekend, Vares recorded 39 kills. Senior Milana Moisio held down the defense and matched her career high with 18 digs and two service aces. Junior Hannah Whittingstall equaled her career high of four service aces, while posting a team-high seven blocks. Whittingstall also contributed five kills.
Sophomore Aleksandra Stojanovic was efficient at the net, recording seven kills and hitting a team-high .875. Senior Claire Ammeraal dished out 43 assists, seven kills, and five blocks. Graduate student Chard’e Vanzandt had 10 kills, totaling 40 throughout the weekend.
MATCH SUMMARY
SET ONE (WEBER STATE 25-23)
A Whittingstall slide got the Hawkeyes on the board at 1-1. Vanzandt and Vares joined the action with kills of their own to tie the set at three-all. Weber State found a little separation at 5-3 off a kill and ace. Iowa’s offense worked through Vares with her third kill giving Iowa the lead at 7-6. Junior Greta Schlichter found the seam for an ace to put Iowa up, 8-6. Both teams were able to side out quickly in the opening set. A pair of blocks from the Hawkeyes gave Iowa an 11-9 advantage. Redshirt Sophomore Alyssa Worden terminated her first kill as Iowa kept its lead at 12-10. Both teams used small rallies through the middle of the set. Stojanovic and Gabby Deery found the floor to give Iowa the lead back at 15-14. Worden fired an ace down the line to keep Iowa in front at 18-16. The Wildcats found three points in a row, including an ace to force an Iowa timeout. Weber State built its lead to three at 21-18. Two kills from Vanzandt and a kill from Vares pulled Iowa within one at 23-22. Ammeraal and Stojanovic connected to save a set point before the Wildcats were able to take set one.
SET TWO (IOWA 25-21)
Weber State began the set with three quick points to lead 3-0. Iowa got on the board on an Ammeraal kill and Whittingstall ace. Weber State pushed a few more points across to go ahead 7-4. Back-to-back kills from Vares and an ace from Moisio tied the set at 7-7. Iowa gained its first lead of the set on an ace from Whittingstall and a…