No. 25 Huskies Win At Iowa In Three Close Sets - University of Washington Athletics (2025)

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Game Recap: Volleyball | October 04, 2024 | UW Athletic Communications

CORALVILLE, Iowa – It was a tight sweep, but a sweep nonetheless for the Husky volleyball team in its first Big Ten road match tonight. No. 25 Washington (13-0, 3-0 Big Ten) locked in late in sets two and three to knock off Iowa (8-7, 2-1 Big Ten) at Xstream Arena. Senior Madi Endsley eclipsed the 1,000 career kills mark in the 25-20, 25-23, 25-23 victory and she led the team with 13 kills overall.

The Huskies are 13-0 for the first time since 2015 and will face their biggest test yet on Sunday, heading to UW Field House in Madison to take on No. 9 Wisconsin at 11 a.m. Pacific. But Washington successfully kept its focus on the Hawkeyes tonight, leading in kills (41-36) and posting a more efficient attack (.260 for UW compared to .178 for Iowa).

Sets two and three were both tied at 23-23 with the home team trying to extend its own 2-0 start to conference play. In the second set, the Huskies used back-to-back blocks to clinch it. In the third, trying to wrap things up, the Huskies had a kill by freshman Julia Hunt to reach match point, and then Hunt went back and served up an ace to end it.

Dawgs make the @SportsCenter Top-10 at #??4?? ???? https://t.co/XP1cJHADyP

— Washington Volleyball (@UWVolleyball) October 5, 2024

Endsley (Temecula, Calif.) became the 22^nd Husky all time to surpass 1,000 career kills, coming in needing 11 kills and putting away 13 tonight.

A Major Milestone for Madi ?

The senior surpassed the 1,000 career kills mark in tonight's win!

She is the 22nd Husky to add her name to the list! ??

Congratulations, Mad Dawg!! #PointHuskies pic.twitter.com/2d3ysmPrIZ

— Washington Volleyball (@UWVolleyball) October 5, 2024

Junior Emoni Bush was second on the team with 11 kills and she did not make an error on 19 swings to hit .579, adding two blocks. Hunt had seven kills without an error on 13 swings to hit .538 and she posted six blocks plus the decisive ace. Molly Wilson had a team-high 21 assists with eight digs and Alexis Haury added 11 assists and four digs. Lauren Bays had eight digs and six assists.

Up Next: Washington visits the other UW in the Big Ten, No. 9-ranked Wisconsin, for an 11 a.m. PT match this Sunday, Oct. 6.

Set One: Washington's block kicked things off with a stuff on the first point from Bush and Wessels. Endsley and Hunt then rejected another for a 4-2 lead. Wilmes went offspeed for a well-placed kill and then Endsley served up an ace and an Iowa error forced a home team timeout at 9-4. Kiune Fletcher ripped down a kill for 11-5. A 3-0 Husky run pushed the lead to 14-7 on a kill from Bush and a solo block from Wessels. Iowa got back in it with its own 3-0 run, but UW extended back to a 19-14 edge on a joust won by Hunt. An ace got Iowa within two at 20-18, but Wilmes got a kill and then an Iowa error prompted the last timeout at 22-18. Endsley hammered one to get the Dawgs to set point at 24-20, and she then smashed down an overpass on the next point to end it, 25-20.

It was a defensive struggle in the first, with UW hitting just .182 but Iowa down at .054. Endsley had five kills to lead the way.

Set Two: Iowa took the first three points of the second before Bush put one off the block and down. The Huskies trailed by four at 4-8 but used a four-point run to take their first lead at 11-10 with a challenge reversal getting a tip kill for Bush. A kill by Bush and a solo block by Hunt made it 14-12 Dawgs. Haury found Hunt on two more kills in a row for 17-14, but Iowa had consecutive aces to tie it right back up. The teams traded sideouts with UW refusing to let go of the lead, with Bush and Endsley adding conversions for 21-20. At 23-all, the Huskies had to send over a free ball, but Wilmes and Hunt threw up a perfect block and the rejection earned set point at 24-23. After an Iowa timeout, the very next Hawkeye swing was rejected again, this time by Wessels and Wilson, for the 25-23 win.

The Huskies hit .303 compared to .175 for Iowa, with five blocks to none for U of I, but the Hawkeyes had 18 digs and a 15-12 advantage in kills. Bush and Hunt combined for 9 of UW's 12 kills in the set.

Set Three: Neither team had more than a one point lead in the third set until an Iowa ace made it 8-6 in their favor. Washington fell into a four-point hole again but dug out before the media timeout. Haury had an ace and Kiune Fletcher and Hunt put up a wall for 11-12. Audra Wilmes tied it at 13-13 with a kill and then Endsley put one away for 14-13 Dawgs. Wessels hammered a quick for 17-all and then Wilmes aced the Hawkeyes on back-to-back points for a 19-17 lead an Iowa took time. But Iowa would not give in, rallying back and acing the Dawgs to take a 21-22 lead and UW needed time. Out of the break, Endsley had a key swing for a kill to tie it, then Wilmes tipped one just over and down for 23-22. Iowa scored for a similar 23-all tie as the second set, but the Dawgs reached match point as Hunt hammered a Wilson set off the side of the block and down for a kill. Hunt then rotated back to serve, and her low line drive was shanked near the net post and couldn't be dug out, falling for an ace to end it, 25-23.

Iowa outhit the Huskies in the third, .375 to .289, but UW had a 4-2 edge in aces, and UW piled up 17 kills compared to 11 for Iowa.

Huskies sweep the Hawkeyes ??@UWVolleyball moves to 13-0 on the season ??#B1GVolleyball pic.twitter.com/EYF5qG5h3W

— Big Ten Volleyball (@B1GVolleyball) October 5, 2024