Oct. 2, 2004
COLUMBUS, OHIO – The Iowa volleyball team (9-6, 1-3) knew heading into their match against Ohio State (13-0, 3-0) that they were going to have to work hard for a win. Not only are the Hawks 4-20 when playing in Columbus, but the Buckeyes were fresh off an upset over number one ranked Minnesota the night before. Despite a good effort by Iowa, Ohio State earned the win, 3-0 (30-24, 30-27, 30-27).
In game one, the Buckeyes led 3-1 when Justeen Patton dumped in a kill to give Iowa the sideout. Later, Stacy Vitali and Carolyn Giese teamed up to block Big Ten kill leader Stacey Gordon and Pam Kavadas served an ace to knot the score at 11. Kavadas later set Patton for a kill, and the score was tied 15-15 after a hitting error by Ohio State. Iowa was forced to take a time-out after the Bucks went on a four-point run, 20-16, but freshman Megan Gatens slammed home a kill for a sideout. Iowa climbed back into the game 25-22 on a slide attack by Giese, forcing Buckeye Coach Jim Stone to regroup his team. The break worked and Ohio State went on to win, 30-24.
Iowa miscues were costly in the first game, as the Hawks committed ten hitting errors and three serving errors. Iowa hit just .070 as a team compared to a .222 hitting percentage by Ohio State. Giese and Vitali each garnered four kills in the game. Both squads had three team blocks.
The Hawkeyes stayed close for most of game two, and tied the score 7-7 on an outside hit by Tiana Costanzo. Later, Vitali halted a Buckeye run with a kill, but another service mistake handed the ball right back to Ohio State, giving them a 16-14 lead. Laura Simpson read an attempted tip by setter Marisa Main, and two serves later Iowa was only down 20-18. Ohio State was one point away from the win when Giese saw an opening for a tip to give Iowa a sideout. But the reprieve was short lived, and the Buckeyes won the game, 30-27, after Gordon picked up her eighth kill of the night.
As a team, the Hawks collected four blocks and had a .243 hitting percentage. However, the Buckeyes had 23 kills to Iowa’s 13. Simpson and Giese both collected three kills apiece.
Ohio State led for the most of the final game, taking a 17-13 midway through, and jumped out to a 20-14 lead on the serving of Ami Stevens. The Hawks went on a roll with Costanzo behind the line, and managed to pull within three points, 20-17. Iowa rallied with the Buckeyes on the brink again, 29-21, and battled back to 29-27. Coach Stone’s squad took a time-out at that point and the Buckeyes earned the 30-27 victory on a block by Nicole Britenriker.
Carolyn Giese led the Hawks with 12 kills, hitting at a .370 clip. Justeen Patton picked up 31 assists. Pam Kavadas continued to lead Iowa in the digging category with 24.Megan Gatens and Giese each were credited with five block assists. As a team, Iowa had ten blocks and hit at a .151 clip.
“We played really tough tonight and continued to fight through the match, and I was proud that we didn’t die. We also had a fresh look on the court with Laura back at the outside, and I don’t think Ohio State expected that,” said Iowa Coach Cindy Fredrick. “We just didn’t have an answer for Stacey Gordon and their middle hitters. We also need to cut down on our serving errors, because teams like Ohio State just aren’t going to make those mistakes.”
Iowa will travel to Cedar Falls on Tuesday, October 5, to take on the University of Northern Iowa (7-6). Next weekend, the Hawkeyes host Northwestern and Wisconsin in Big Ten action. All matches begin at 7 p.m.