Hawkeyes Fall to No. 2 Penn State in 4 sets

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STATE COLLEGE, Penn. — The University of Iowa volleyball team dropped a 3-1 decision to second-ranked Penn State on Saturday afternoon at the Recreation Building.
 
FIGHT FOR IOWA
Brie Orr recorded 45 assists and seven digs for Iowa. It is her 14th match of the season with 30-or-more assists and her seventh match with 40-or-more assists.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Set 1 (13-25) | The Nittany Lions took an early lead and did not trail, taking a 1-0 match lead. Taylor Louis led the Hawkeyes with four kills, while Claire Sheehan chipped in three.
 
Set 2 (19-25) | After Penn State jumped ahead early, the Hawkeyes found a rhythm and took a 13-12 lead. The Nittany Lions regained the lead at 15-14 and held on to take a 2-0 lead into intermission.
 
Set 3 (25-23) | With the score knotted 4-4, the Hawkeyes scored three consecutive points to take a 7-4 lead. The set continued to go back and forth, featuring 15 ties and five lead changes before a Sheehan kill secured the set victory for Iowa.
 
Set 4 (17-25) | With the score knotted at 8-8 after another back-and-forth start to the set, the Nittany Lions seized momentum and control of the set, finishing the 3-1 match victory.
 
HEAR FROM COACH SHYMANSKY
“In the second set, we started playing really well. I keep reminding our team that we are going to be trading points with the best teams in the country all season long. It’s going to happen. Here we are on the road doing it. Our group is growing by leaps and bounds. Claire Sheehan is our young outside hitter, playing better and better. Her passing is getting more stable, but her attacking continues to be more aggressive. Taylor Louis was kind of unstoppable out there. I really like what she is bringing to the group. Those are our two left-side hitters that are going to legitimize us as we get deeper into Big Ten play.”
 
“This is the time of the year for us when we can’t keep hanging our hat on moral victories when we are playing against great teams. We need to get out and get W’s. We need to get victories, so we are going to keep challenging our whole program. That’s our staff, me included, and our team. This is something that we need to choose to believe every time we step on the court, that Hawkeyes can go out and win and do it the right way. We definitely have things to build on and things to work on, but we are excited to be back home in Carver this next weekend.”
 
NOTABLES

• Louis led Iowa with 17 kills and a .351 attack percentage. This is Louis’ 11th match with double-digit kills and her ninth match with an attack percentage of .300 or better.
• Sheehan tallied 14 kills, marking her fifth double-digit kill match this season.
• Annika Olsen recorded 13 digs. She now has 13 matches with double-digit digs.
• This is the first time the Hawkeyes have taken a set from Penn State since 2012.

 
RECORDS UPDATE

• Iowa: 12-3, 1-1 B1G
• Penn State: 11-1, 1-1 B1G

 
UP NEXT
After a five-match road stint, the Hawkeyes return to Carver-Hawkeye Arena, hosting No. 5 Wisconsin on Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. (CT). Iowa then hosts No. 1 Minnesota on Sept. 30 in another 7 p.m. first serve.