AMES — Tuesday night’s match against Iowa State was a little bit different for Henlee Moszkowicz.
Iowa's Henlee Moszkowicz receives a serve during an NCAA volleyball match against Iowa State at Hilton Coliseum in Ames on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
The Iowa freshman had played in rivalry matches before, but the energy in Hilton Coliseum with 4,665 fans packed in the lower bowl to see the Hawkeyes take on the RV Cyclones was a little different than a Magnolia—Magnolia West matchup back home in Texas.
“Much bigger crowd, tougher games,” Moszkowicz said. “… Going from that to getting to play in front of all these people was really amazing.”
It made for quite the backdrop to the 5-foot-5 libero’s first career in the contrasting jersey. Moszkowicz found out she would be starting just 24 hours before the Cy-Hawk match, during the final practice. She played it cool.
“I try to think less,” Moszkowicz said. “I was just like, OK, this is happening. I’m confident in what I know I can do. So, I was just like, don’t think about it. Don’t freak out. Just go in and play how you can.”
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Moszkowicz also said she was mainly focused on being a unifying force on the court.
“The thing I focus on most is just bringing a lot of energy and excitement and pulling people together,” Moszkowicz said. “Like communication and less so like not focusing on volleyball, focusing on what I can contribute to every single point, being super uplifting and bringing a lot of energy”
Moszkowicz got the opportunity after head coach Jim Barnes went to her at libero in the fourth set of a 3-1 loss to Alabama last Friday. He saw what he needed to call on her again for Iowa’s biggest game on the non-conference slate.
Iowa's Henlee Moszkowicz receives a serve during an NCAA volleyball match against Iowa State at Hilton Coliseum in Ames on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
“She’s a tough kid,” Barnes said. “She doesn’t let the moment get the best of her, and she’s been training really well. We just gave her a shot because of how tough she is. She’s very vocal too, which is what you really want out of that libero position.”
What ensued on the court in Hilton Coliseum on Tuesday night, Barnes classified coyly as a “pretty good start” for Moszkowicz.
She recorded 10 digs, including a crucial pancake in the first set, which saved Iowa from a 14-14 tie and instead gave the Hawkeyes a 15-13 lead they never surrendered. She also dished one assist and recorded one kill, which came in the second set and extended Iowa’s lead to 17-12.
Iowa's Henlee Moszkowicz celebrates a point during an NCAA volleyball match against Iowa State at Hilton Coliseum in Ames on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
She also helped the Hawkeyes to their first win in Ames since 1997 — a 2018 win in Ames was vacated — via a 3-0 (25-20, 25-21, 25-23) sweep.
Following the upset win, Moszkowicz said she did not really remember either of her highlight plays.
“My memory’s a little shaky — I feel like I kind of black out the games,” Moszkowicz said. “When I’m in the game, I just go. I don’t really think much.”
Moszkowicz can also consider her goal of bringing the team together, something she helped accomplish on Tuesday. According to outside hitter Carmel Vares, Barnes highlighted the team’s chemistry after the game
“We’ve talked about our team chemistry and the vibe on the court a lot,” Vares said. “Last weekend, it was bad. Coach told us in the locker room that this chemistry that we had on the court today was something else, and we can do big things with that chemistry.”
Iowa returns home on Thursday for its home opener against Southern Illinois at 6 p.m. in Xtream Arena in Coralville to open the Hawkeye Invitational. The Hawkeyes will also face Incarnate Word (6 p.m., Friday) and Missouri State (1 p.m., Saturday). All three matches will be available on Big Ten+ (subscription required).
Ethan Petrik is a University of Iowa beat writer for the Lee Enterprises network. Follow him on X or send him an email at ethan.petrik@wcfcourier.com.
