It's a quieter time of the year for Iowa sports, with fall seasons winding down just before winter seasons are in full swing, but the Hawkeye teams that are competing are putting on an impressive show.
Let's jump right in.
Olympic Spotlight: Soccer
Iowa soccer (14-2-4) advanced to the NCAA Tournament Round of 32 on Friday night, beating Missouri State 2-1 at home.
The Hawkeyes, hosting the first round of the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year, were on the attack from the start. Iowa peppered the Missouri State defense with 12 first-half shots and three first-half corners. In the 22nd minute, Hawkeye senior Kenzie Rolling chased down a long through ball on the left side of the field and lofted in a beautiful one-time cross. Meike Ingles found space between defenders and slotted home the one-time finish to give Iowa a 1-0 lead.
The offensive pressure kept coming from the Hawks in the 2nd half and they were able to break through again in the 48th minute. This time it was grad student Maggie Johnston skying for the Hawkeyes to head home another great Hawkeye cross.
The Bears pulled one back late in the game, but Iowa was able to see the game out and earn their second straight trip to the Round of 32.
Iowa controlled the game throughout, tallying 28 shots to Missouri State's seven and earned 13 corners while conceding just one. Of course, you would love to see a few more shots find the back of the net, but on a cold November night, two goals is a great showing, especially in the postseason. The Hawkeyes are now 11-0 this year when they score multiple goals, a testament to the team's defensive prowess, and have earned the opportunity to advance to the program's first-ever Sweet Sixteen.
Standing in their way is 6th-seeded Georgetown (13-3-4), who beat Fairfield 3-0 on Saturday. Veteran team members like Ingles, Johnston, and Rolling have experienced the growth of this program, from Covid-year Cinderella to legitimate Big Ten contenders. After last year's heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Georgia, the group certainly knows what it will take to earn that Sweet Sixteen berth. This is the most talented group the Hawkeyes have ever had. On Friday, they'll have a chance to become the most accomplished group ever as well.
The Hoyas and Hawkeyes will meet on the campus of UCLA on Friday at 6:00 PM CT. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Women's Wrestling
Iowa women's wrestling (4-0) picked up two blowout wins at the Iowa Duals last week, shutting out Cornell College 47-0 and cruising past #25 William Jewel 43-3.
Iowa racked up eight pins and three tech falls against Cornell, with standout performances coming from top-ranked Brianna Gonzalez, who earned a 10-0 win in the first period of her match, 8th-ranked Rose Cassioppi, who picked up a 10-0 win of her own, #9 Naomi Simon, who pinned her opponent in 27 seconds, and Katja Osteen, who finished the dual with a 17-second pin.
Gonzalez won the only ranked match of the day during the Hawkeyes bout with William Jewel, overcoming #9 Alex Waitsman 12-2. Kennedy Blades shined in her Carver-Hawkeye debut with a 12-1 win, and Kylie Welker and Jaycee Foeller each pinned their William Jewel opponents to help power the Hawkeyes to the dominant win.
The Hawkeyes won 19 of 20 matches on the day, racking up seven pins and ten tech falls. The Hawks were clearly a class above their opponents and did what good teams should when facing inferior opposition. Iowa looks to again be the among the best teams in the nation. It's all a matter of staying focused and being able to match the intensity as the pressure continues to climb.
Iowa will be back on the mat this weekend when they participate in the Missouri Valley Open.
Volleyball
Iowa volleyball split a pair of matches last week, sweeping Indiana (12-14, 5-11) before being swept by Michigan State (11-16, 4-12). The Hawkeyes were focused from the first serve against the Hoosiers, taking the first set 25-18 on the back of a Hannah Whittingstall-led 7-1 run. The Hawkeyes were dominant at the net, holding Indiana to a .061 hitting percentage and getting five kills each from Malu Garcia and Alyssa Worden.
The Hawks kept the momentum going into the second set, putting together mini-runs of 6-2 and 5-1 to help claim the set 25-22. Set three was more of the same with the Hawkeyes starting the set on a 5-0 run. The Hoosiers rallied back and the set turned into a tight affair, but Iowa ultimately pulled away late to win the set 25-21 and win the match.
The Hawkeyes hit a season-best .371 on the night and Garcia was again effective, registering 13 kills in what has turned into an extraordinary freshman campaign. Gracie Gibson was uber-efficient hitting as well, notching six kills on a .700 hitting percentage.
Unfortunately, the Hawkeyes couldn't carry the momentum into Sunday's match against the Spartans for Senior Day. The first set was close, with the teams tying at 15 before Iowa made a quick push to take a 21-18 lead. After a Spartan timeout, the Hawks surrendered a 4-0 run. The teams remained within a point of each other until Michigan State put two together to take the first set 27-25.
The letdown of the first set slipping away seemed to sap the Hawkeyes for the remainder of the match, as they weren't able to put up much of a fight in set two (25-13) or set three (25-14). Michelle Urquhart led the way for the Hawkeyes with eight kills and nine digs.
The Hawkeyes put together one of their best matches of the season against the Hoosiers but followed it up with one of their worst against the Spartans. The group has shown that they can put it together and take care of the teams near them in the Big Ten standings, but too often they've struggled with consistency and dropped sets and matches that feel winnable.
They'll face a pair of tough opponents this week with #2 Nebraska (26-1, 16-0) (11/20, 6:00, BTN+) coming to town before traveling to take on #16 Minnesota (17-9, 10-6) (11/23, 7:30, BTN+).
