Hawkeyes Fall to Northwestern, 3-0

Stats

Oct. 22, 2011

Box Score

• Download your Iowa Hawkeye iPhone app!
• Iowa and the Big Ten Network
• Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
• 24 Hawkeyes to Watch

IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University volleyball team fell to Northwestern in straight sets tonight inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena (25-16, 25-11, 25-18). The Wildcats dominated Iowa at the net — combining for 12.5 blocks, the highest total by any Hawkeye opponent this season — and out-killing Iowa, 42-29.

The Hawkeyes were led by sophomore Nikki Dailey, who earned her team-high eighth double-double of the season with 25 assists and 11 digs. Senior Megan Eskew put down seven kills and sophomore Bethany Yeager picked up 17 digs

“It was a really disappointing performance,” said head coach Sharon Dingman. “I think we made a bad choice to come out as flat as we did. We couldn’t kill the ball. We had too many hitting errors. We’d get some momentum and then we’d have a service error. We made a choice to come out and play pretty flat, and that’s disappointing.”

Northwestern took the victory in the opening frame, 25-16. The set opened with a back-and-forth exchange of points that included two kills from Senior Mallory Husz. Up by two, Northwestern made its largest run of four consecutive points and took the lead, 14-8. Iowa later used a kill from Eskew to spark its first 3-0 run of the frame and pull within five, 18-13. Northwestern controlled the rest of the match, scoring seven of the remaining 10 points.

The Wildcats earned the match advantage by hitting .375 in their 25-11 second set win. Northwestern took a comfortable lead by opening the frame with a 12-4 run. Two kills from sophomore Chante’ Thompson and a service ace from Eskew later pulled the Hawkeyes within five, 12-7, but Iowa was unable to slow the Wildcats and Northwestern finished the frame on a 7-0 run.

The Hawkeyes were unable to force a forth frame, losing the closely battled third set, 25-18. Down by two, Rachael Bedell and Thompson combined for three kills in a 3-1 run to tie the frame, 11-11. Northwestern would eventually use a 5-2 run to grab a 18-15 lead, before Bedell’s fourth kill of the night end the Wildcat run and pulled Iowa back within two, 18-16. Northwestern then created some distance with a 5-0 run and eventually cruised to the 25-18 win to finish the straight-set victory.

The Hawkeyes return to action Friday, Oct. 28 to face No. 9 Penn State. The Hawkeyes and Nittany Lions will play at 6 p.m. CT inside Rec Hall on the campus of Penn State.