Hawkeyes Best Northern Iowa in Dramatic Five-Game Match

Sept. 27, 2005

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IOWA CITY – The University of Iowa volleyball team won a dramatic five-game battle over in-state rival Northern Iowa, 3-2, Tuesday night in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes (11-4) took the match by scores of 30-28, 26-30, 30-25, 24-30, 20-18.

The win was the first time Iowa has defeated Northern Iowa since 1989.

Freshman setter Kiley Fister recorded the team’s first triple double since Fabiana de Abreu pulled the feat in 2000. The St. Charles, IL, native dished out 53 assists, pounded out 11 kills and recorded 10 digs. Classmate Catherine Smale led the attack with 20 kills. She also added 17 digs.

After splitting the first four games, the teams played a very dramatic deciding fifth game. Northern Iowa came out of the gates swinging and took an early 7-3 lead. The Hawkeyes came storming back behind the serving of freshman libero Emily Hiza to tie the game at 7-7. From that point on, the two teams traded points the rest of the way, with neither team taking more than a two-point lead.

Iowa was the first team to serve a match point at 14-13, but UNI came back to tie things up. The Hawkeyes then faced elimination three times against a UNI serve, turning them back each time. With the game tied at 18-18, Iowa closed the door with back-to-back kills from Stacy Vitali and Smale.

Vitali ended the match with 14 kills, while junior Tiana Costanzo had 16 kills and 17 digs.

The Hawkeyes return to action this weekend when they host Big Ten rivals Michigan State and Michigan. Iowa battles the Spartans Friday at 7 p.m., then takes on the Wolverines Saturday at the same time.

GAME SUMMARYUNI 28 30 25 30 18IOWA 30 26 30 24 20