Iowa

Hawkeyes Fall in Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series

Published

2 years ago

September 12, 2024

AMES, Iowa – University of Iowa volleyball fell to Iowa State, 3-1, in the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series on Wednesday night at Hilton Coliseum. The Hawkeyes are now 4-2 on the season.

Freshman Malu Garcia recorded a career-best 15 kills, hitting at a .344 clip. Redshirt freshman Alyssa Worden tallied a career-high six service aces. Sophomore Hannah Whittingstall recorded six kills with a .286 hitting percentage. Defensively, senior Joy Galles recorded 10 digs on the night, holding down the back court.

HEAR FROM COACH BARNES
“We obviously came out tight. We didn’t handle the crowd and atmosphere very well to start. Once we started playing our game, we took the third set with great efforts from Malu (Garcia) and Alyssa (Worden). We need to learn how to come out loose and aggressive and play our game from the whistle.”

MATCH SUMMARY

SET ONE (IOWA STATE 25-10)
After dropping the first point, Claire Ammeraal connected with Whittingstall to get Iowa’s first point of the night. The Cyclones would go on a 4-0 run, forcing an Iowa timeout at 5-1. Ammeraal capitalized after the timeout with a kill bringing the Hawkeyes within three at 5-2. Iowa struggled from the service line, while Iowa State settled in offensively. The Hawkeyes were unable to erase an early deficit to counter Iowa State. Iowa would fall in the opening set to the Cyclones.

SET TWO (IOWA STATE 25-19)
The Hawkeyes and Cyclones traded points throughout the beginning of the second set. Two kills from Garcia tied the set at 2-2. Iowa state would go on a 3-0 run but a kill from senior Michelle Urquhart would bring the Hawkeyes within two at 5-3. Both teams would continue to trade kills, each trying to break away from one another. Iowa state would go up by four before an attacking error and two aces from Worden pulled the Hawkeyes within one at 10-9. The Cyclones would go on another run, giving Iowa a few points off of service errors but were able to get some separation at 18-13, forcing an Iowa timeout. Iowa State remained in control for the rest of the set, with the Hawkeyes trying to start a run with kills from Garcia and Urquhart sandwiched around an ace from Worden. The Hawkeyes ultimately dropped the set.

SET THREE (IOWA 25-19)
With their backs against the wall, the Hawkeyes battled with the Cyclones to extend the match. After Iowa State went up 3-1, a kill by Garcia and a Hawkeye block tied the game at 3-3. The match remained tight until the Hawkeyes went on a 5-0 run led by two kills from Garcia and two aces from Worden. After expanding the lead to 13-8, the Hawkeyes would not look back and remained dominant for the remainder of the set. Garcia recorded three more kills and Urquhart closed the set with a kill.

SET FOUR (IOWA STATE 25-18)
Iowa dropped the first two points of the set but kills from Whittingstall and Garcia brought the Hawkeyes within one at 3-2. Iowa State pulled away but two kills from Deery would close the gap at 11-7. After a timeout at 13-7, the Hawkeyes and Cyclones continued to go back and forth trading kills. Late kills by Garcia gave Iowa the serve back but the Hawkeyes were unable to put together a run to extend the match. Iowa State took the fourth set and won the match.

UP NEXT: The Hawkeye travel to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to play in the Panther Invitational hosted by UW-Milwaukee. Iowa will play Friday against St. Thomas at 4:00 p.m. (CT), Saturday at noon against Illinois State and will close the weekend on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. against UW-Milwaukee.

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Iowa

4 thoughts from Iowa women’s abrupt NCAA exit vs Virginia | Leistikow

Published

34 minutes ago

March 24, 2026

Press Room

4 thoughts from Iowa women’s abrupt NCAA exit vs Virginia | Leistikow

IOWA CITY — The Iowa women’s basketball team was playing with fire down the stretch of its season.

And in the always-tense round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament, the second-seeded Hawkeyes got burned.

Stagnant offense, missed free throws and continued woes from 3-point range were too much for Iowa to overcome in a disheartening, 83-75 double-overtime loss to 10th-seeded Virginia before 14,332 fans at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on March 23.

Though there were 50 minutes of court action, this was still an abrupt end of the season — similar to Iowa’s loss to No. 10 seed Creighton in the round of 32 in 2022.

“We didn’t deserve to win,” Iowa head coach Jan Jensen said. “We took 20 more shots (84 to 63). We out-rebounded them (50 to 42). Free throws were bad. Three-point percentage, bad. Hats off to Virginia. … That’s a great, great story. Players made shots. Players made plays. We didn’t make enough of them.

“Even with all of that … one little free throw by someone.”

And … yeah, that’s why it was so frustrating.

Iowa was favored by 13½ points and looked like it finally got things together, taking a 52-43 lead with 8:07 remaining. But Iowa scored only five points in the rest of regulation, with Chit-Chat Wright missing a wild 2-pointer on the final possession.

But probably the biggest blown opportunity came with 22 seconds left in the first overtime. With a tie score, 63-63, Iowa was awarded two free throws and the ball after a flagrant-1 foul on Virginia’s Sa’Myah Smith for connecting with Hannah Stuelke in the neck.

Iowa could choose anyone to shoot the foul shots, and Wright – an 86% free-throw shooter – knocked down 1-of-2. She was fouled again, and hit just 1-of-2. Instead of a potential four-point lead, Iowa’s lead was two … and Kymora Johnson scored to force Iowa’s first double-overtime game in six years.

“I practice free throws day in and day out,” Wright said. “I really expected myself to make those two that I missed. Just got to get in the gym and get better.”

Iowa shot 5-of-29 from 3-point range and 8-of-16 from the foul line. Those aren’t winning numbers against almost any opponent. The Hawkeyes were 1-of-13 from 3 and 17-of-29 from the foul line in a precarious NCAA Tournament opener against Fairleigh Dickinson.

“We have to make shots. That’s basketball,” said sophomore Taylor Stremlow, who was 1-for-10 from 3. “That’s what we’re here for.”

Add it up, and Iowa was 14.3% from 3 (6-for-42) and 55.6% from the line (25-for-45) in two games here this week. Tack those numbers onto the 45-point outing in the Big Ten championship game vs. UCLA, and the Hawkeyes’ final three games were disappointing.

“There’s not many excuses you can make,” said senior Kylie Feuerbach, who was 1-for-7 from 3. “You can’t let up. I personally didn’t hit the shots that were open. We had the crowd behind us. We had the energy. We had everything in our favor. We weren’t able to maximize those opportunities.”

Three duds don’t take away from what was an overachieving season.

But appreciating the season needs a little time.

“It’s been a great year,” Jensen said. “It’s just when it ends like this, it’s a dagger.”

Chit-Chat Wright reflects on missed free throws, first season at Iowa

The sophomore transfer eyes next season after Iowa’s 83-75 double-overtime loss to Virginia in the NCAA Tournament.

Assertive Chit-Chat, cramping Chit-Chat

That was the missive from Jensen coming into this round-of-32 matchup, to get Wright to be more aggressive on the offensive end of the floor.

Wright uncorked a 3-pointer on Iowa’s first possession and was Iowa’s leading scorer in the first half, scoring eight points on 4-of-10 shooting. Wright’s tendency has been to shrink when her shot is off, but she kept firing — which was important, especially as the Hawkeyes got only 8:48 of playing time from Heiden in the opening 20 minutes.

Wright’s 3-pointer with 5:43 left pushed Iowa to a 55-51 lead. But shortly thereafter, she was pulled with cramps — an issue she has dealt with during the late part of the season. Wright came out of the game, sucked down some applesauce and pickle juice and quickly returned after 40 seconds on the bench.

The cramping returned in both overtimes but she battled through it to play 49:20.

“It was in and out,” Wright said. “It would go away and come back.”

For the game, Wright finished with 21 points on 8-of-22 shooting with five rebounds, three assists and five turnovers. The misfire at the end of regulation was a relapse of being a bit too indecisive. Jensen said that was on her as a coach to bring Wright along this offseason.

“We drew it up. But there was so much hesitancy,” Jensen said. “I think that was the youth. Again, it goes to the deference. ‘Should I be looking for Ava?’ Well, no, you had it wide open.”

Tearful goodbyes to Kylie Feuerbach, Hannah Stuelke

The toughest part about the loss was seeing two program stalwarts who were part of two Final Four runs end their Hawkeye careers.

Feuerbach had four points and five assists before fouling out. Stuelke set career highs in minutes (48:34) and rebounds (19) to go with 15 points and six assists in her final game.

“Those are two of my best friends,” Stremlow said. “It’s hard knowing we won’t get another opportunity to play with them. It’s just hard. They’ve meant so much to our program.”

Both players were instrumental to this 27-7 season. By the end, Jensen really had only six players she could trust in crunch-time situations. These seniors provided stability.

Stuelke battled through multiple injuries and played wherever Jensen needed her.

Feuerbach was the ultimate defensive stopper, earning all-defense honors in the Big Ten.

“Surreal,” Feuerbach said of her five years at Iowa. “It would be impossible to list off everything right now. This moment really is hard, but then you can look back at all the highs that you’ve had, and they surpass everything else.”

Stuelke was a starter on the 2024 team that reached the national-title game. She outscored Caitlin Clark that year in the national semifinals as Iowa beat UConn. She once scored 47 points in a game.

She was a massive part of Jensen’s first two seasons at the helm as she looks to build it back up to where it was when Clark moved on to the WNBA in 2024.

“It’ll be trending upwards,” Stuelke said. “The young girls on this team are really great. If they keep growing, they’re going to be spectacular. I’m excited to keep watching them and cheering them on. Hopefully they’ll text me if they need any advice.”

Hear from Ava Heiden after Iowa women’s basketball season ends vs. Virginia

Ava Heiden scores 55 points in two NCAA games, but has regrets

Heiden had a clean look to win the game at the end of the first overtime off a putback, but didn’t take it. Stremlow’s in-and-out 3, with the score 65-65, bounded into Heiden’s hands, about 6 feet away from the hoop. Instead of going back up for a shot, she looked to kick it out. She said in postgame interviews that she thought she had more time. Once she realized the clock was about to expire, she put up a wild shot that wasn’t close.

“That’s on me,” Heiden said. “I could’ve probably been more aware of the clock. That’s something I’ll grow into. I haven’t quite been in those late-game situations where I’m the one getting the (last shot).”

That set up the second fateful overtime.

Heiden was once again Iowa’s best player even though she missed 11:12 of the first half with two early fouls. This was the epitome of a learning experience for a sophomore who had a great season, but whose best play is undoubtedly yet to come.

“That first five minutes, we were kind of rolling,” Jensen said. “She did some of the things she did earlier (in the season), fouling 94 feet away. That (second) one was such a bizarre one how she got it, still learning about her body control.”

Heiden confessed after scoring 29 of Iowa’s 58 points in its first-round win that she wasn’t fully comfortable being the go-to player in key moments. That should come.

Heiden finished with a team-high 26 points in 36:20.

“It’s just hard,” Heiden said. “There are some things that all of us could’ve done better at. Definitely things I wanted to do better. We’ll grow from it and apply it to next year.”

Heiden finished her year with 614 points, third in Iowa program history among sophomores behind the uncatchable Caitlin Clark (863) and Megan Gustafson (628). Pretty elite company. And a centerpiece to build around for the next two years.

Hawkeyes columnist Chad Leistikow has served for 31 years with The Des Moines Register and USA TODAY Sports Network. Chad is the 2023 INA Iowa Sports Columnist of the Year and NSMA Co-Sportswriter of the Year in Iowa. Join Chad’s text-message group at HawkCentral.com/HawkeyesTexts. Follow @ChadLeistikow on X.

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Iowa

Iowa lawmakers at a standstill over pipeline fight that could shape landowners’ rights

Published

13 hours ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

Iowa lawmakers at a standstill over pipeline fight that could shape landowners’ rights

Lawmakers have yet to agree on whether private companies should be allowed to use eminent domain for a proposed carbon capture pipeline, leaving landowners and industry groups waiting on an outcome that could have lasting impacts across the state.

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Iowa

3 key bills that survived the Iowa funnel deadline — and 2 that didn’t

Published

1 day ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

3 key bills that survived the Iowa funnel deadline — and 2 that didn’t

The Iowa Legislature’s 2nd funnel deadline put an expiration date on dozens of bills that failed to advance far enough this session. Here’s a quick rundown:

The Iowa Legislature’s second funnel deadline has passed, closing the door on dozens of proposed bills.

The self-imposed deadline requires bills to have passed one chamber and be approved by a committee in the opposite chamber by March 20 or be relegated to the trash heap.

What Iowa bills missed the cut?

Among the casualties: bills that would have allowed community colleges to offer some four-year degrees and eliminated all school vaccination requirements.

What Iowa bills made the cut?

Other bills remain alive, including legislation restricting the governor’s emergency powers, allowing Iowans to buy ivermectin over the counter without a prescription and limiting tuition increases at Iowa’s public universities.

What big issues are hung up?

Republicans, who control the Iowa House and Senate, have yet to strike deals on two of the top issues of the legislative session: property tax relief and eminent domain restrictions.

“There are some heavy lifts obviously,” Senate Majority Leader Mike Klimesh, R-Spillville, told reporters. “Property taxes, eminent domain conversation, and budgeting.”

What was the fate of dozens of other Iowa bills?

If you’re looking for a more complete list of bills that lived and died, read our exhaustive roundup of education, health care, business, state government and law enforcement and courts legislation.

Portions of this article appeared in the Des Moines Register’s politics newsletter. Don’t miss out. Sign up here.

Marissa Payne covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. Reach her by email at mjpayne@registermedia.com. Follow her on X at @marissajpayne.

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