Despite a shaky finish Saturday evening at Jenison Field House, the Spartan volleyball team hung on to defeat the visiting Iowa Hawkeyes 3-1.

The Spartans (9-2, 2-2) extended its home winning streak to nine games with the victory.

Game one began with a shower of Spartan points as sophomore setter Nikki Colson (match-high 49 assists) served for seven straight points.

The Spartans’ lead would stretch to nine with sophomore middle blocker Jenny Rood’s (11 kills, five blocks) swooping kill.

The Hawkeyes, (2-8, 0-4) would get no closer than eight points the rest of the game, which was sealed with a solo block from junior outside hitter Kyla Smith (match-highs with 15 kills and four solo blocks) making the final 30-18.

Game two was more of the same from the home team, as sophomore defensive specialist Stephanie Knopp served eight straight points to give the Spartans an 9-0 lead. The run was ended with a kill from Hawkeye outside hitter/middle blocker Jamie Lansing (team-high 12 kills).

The Spartan lead reached 13 when senior outside hitter Erin Hartley’s attack kissed the sideline for a kill. The kill forced the Hawkeyes to take a time-out trailing the Spartans 17-4.

The Hawkeyes would not threaten the rest of the game, trailing by no less than ten points the remainder of the game.

An illegal hit from Iowa outside hitter Laura Simpson ended game two with the score 30-16.

A Simpson kill on the first point of game three gave the Hawkeyes their first lead of the evening at 1-0. Neither team would play well the remainder of the game, both plagued with serving and passing errors.

The Hawkeyes lengthened their lead to 13-17 after an attack error from freshman outside hitter Kim Schram (11 kills).

The Spartans would battle back to tie at 23 and 25, but two late errors cost the Spartans the three game sweep. The Hawkeyes took game three 26-30.

Game four wasn’t much prettier, as both teams continued to make unforced errors.

The Spartans did control the lead, though, and went up 17-13 after a kill from junior middle blocker Angela Morley (10 kills, .667 hitting percentage).

Iowa battled back to even up the score at 23 after a kill from outside hitter Kassie Petty.

The teams tied four more times at 24, 25, 26 and 27 until a illegal back row attack by Iowa gave the Spartans a 28-27 lead.

An Emily Engel ace put the Spartans on the brink of victory at 29-27 only to be denied by a ferocious kill from middle blocker Sara Meyermann.

However, Meyermann couldn’t hit through a huge block from Morley and Hartley, sealing the Spartan victory at 30-27.

Hartley recorded her second double-double of the season finishing with 14 kills and 11 digs.

The Spartans face the Michigan Wolverines (5-5, 2-2) at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Ann Arbor.