SACRAMENTO, Calif. – After being down 2-0 heading into the third set, Nevada rallied back to secure the match 3-2 upsetting the Iowa Hawkeyes Sunday afternoon picking up their first victory of the season at The Nest to wrap the Sacramento State Invitational, knocking off a Power Five opponent for the second year in a row.
 
Freshman Tehya Maeva tallied 51 assists, 16 digs, two service aces, and three total blocks in Sunday's match. Sophomore Jordan Schwartz tallied a .522 hitting percentage with 13 kills, along with Sia Liilii, and Nicanora Clarke also reaching double digits in kills with 21 and 17 respectively. Liilii also recorded seven total aces against Iowa. Defensively Clarke, Maeva, Lexi Applebach, and Hikiala Kaohelaulii recorded 10 or more digs throughout the match.
 
The Hawkeyes began the first set with a 4-0 run over the Pack with three kills and an ace before Nevada answered back with two straights kills from Jordan Schwartz and Sia Liilii. The Pack put more points on the board to shorten Iowa's lead after a 5-1 run with two kills by Nicanora Clarke, Bella Snyder, and Liilii bringing the score within one for Nevada, 11-10. At the media timeout, the Hawkeyes went on another 4-0 run for a 15-10 lead over the Pack. Nevada was forced to call its first timeout of the match after Iowa extended their lead by six, before the Hawkeyes went on another run to lead 20-12.
 
Liilii brought Nevada within three against the Hawkeyes after two service aces made up two of the four points for the Pack's 6-1 run to keep the set alive 23-20. Iowa reached the set point with the Pack down by three, but a kill by Clarke pulled the score within one for Nevada with an overall 9-2 run to keep the Hawkeyes from winning the set and calling a timeout. The Pack continued to battle to hold on to the first set, but ultimately came up just short as the Hawkeyes secured the opening frame 26-24.
 
After a 4-1 start for the Hawkeyes to lead the second set, the Pack came within two after Liilii had two straight service aces, bringing the score to 9-7. A 3-0 run by Nevada forces Iowa to call a timeout after a kill and service ace by Snyder and another kill by Schwartz to tie it up at 10-10 a piece. Nevada took their first lead of the day 16-15 after a kill by Clarke before Iowa regained the lead 17-16 from two back-to-back kills from Caitlan Buettner and Anna Davis. The Pack tied it up 21-21 after a service ace by Snyder, her second of the set and on the day, along with Clarke's seventh kill of the match. Iowa set themselves up to reach the set point first after a kill and a service ace, forcing Nevada to call a timeout. An error by the Pack gave the Hawkeyes the set 25-22, leading the match 2-0 overall.
 
Nevada opened the third set with a service ace by Maeva, giving the Pack the first points on the scoreboard. A 3-1 run by the Pack helped give them an 8-6 lead over Iowa. The Hawkeyes tied it up at 8-8 a piece before a kill and an ace by Liilii, followed by another kill by Clarke put Nevada up 11-8. Continuing to extend their lead, a block assist by Snyder and Maeva followed by Liilii's second service ace of the set, her sixth overall, forced Iowa to call a timeout as the Pack took a five-point lead over the Hawkeyes 13-8. The Pack continued to stay in charge with a 9-0 overall run for their largest lead of the day and the match over Iowa, 17-8. The Hawkeyes stopped the Pack's dominant run, shortening the lead to be within five as a 4-0 run forced Nevada to call a timeout. Iowa could not keep up with the Pack's momentum, allowing Nevada to secure their first set of the match, 25-17 looking to even it up against the Hawkeyes in the fourth.
 
The Hawkeyes opened the fourth with a 4-1 lead over the Pack before Nevada brought the score within one as a kill each by Clarke and Liilii along with an error by Iowa led the set to be all tied up at 9-9 a piece. Nevada's momentum on a 3-0 run to take the lead 14-11 caused Iowa to call a timeout, thanks to a block by Schwartz, an ace by Maeva, Nevada's 11^th ace overall, and an error by Iowa's Buettner. The Hawkeyes found their rhythm to close the score within two after a 4-0 run, forcing Nevada to call a timeout before Liilii answered back with a kill to put Iowa back up within three. The Pack rallied on a 4-2 run, reaching a four-point lead to force a timeout for Iowa, only being two points away from securing the set. Iowa tried to answer back, but the Pack had another dominant performance to take set four 25-21 and tie the match up 2-2 heading into the fifth and final set.  
 
Liilii recorded her ninth kill of the match to kick off the fifth set, bringing Nevada up over Iowa 4-1 before a called timeout by the Hawkeyes. The Pack continued to keep the pressure up on Iowa as the squads' switched sides of the court as Nevada held a four-point lead. The Hawkeyes continued to rally and keep the set alive with a 3-0 run to bring the score within two for Iowa at 8-6 before forcing the Pack to call a timeout. Nevada ultimately secures the reverse sweep to upset Iowa in the final set 15-10.
 
 
Up next:
 
Nevada will be back in action next weekend playing in the Eastern Washington Invitational, with a doubleheader Friday, Sept. 1 against Pacific at 10 a.m. and host Eastern Washington at 7 p.m. The Pack will wrap up the invitational Saturday, Sept. 2 against Seattle at 11 a.m.