Aug. 31, 2012
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ROCHESTER, Mich. — The University of Iowa volleyball team defeated Eastern Illinois, 3-1, on Friday in its first match of the Golden Grizzlies Invitational (32-30, 25-13, 24-26, 25-20). The Hawkeyes move to 4-1 with the victory. The match was held at Athletics Center O’rena on the campus of Oakland University.
Junior Nikki Dailey led Iowa with a match-high 39 assists. Classmate Bethany Yeager led the defense with a match-high 26 digs. She ranks 12th all-time in program history with 1,101 career digs. Four Hawkeyes registered double-digit kills. Junior Chante’ Thompson and freshman Erin Radke paced Iowa with 12 kills each. Sophomore Alex Lovell and junior Rachael Bedell notched 11.
Iowa claimed a wild first set, 32-30. The opening frame saw 18 ties. With the score tied at 19, the Hawkeyes went on a 4-1 run to grab a 23-20 advantage. Eastern Illinois (2-2) responded with three-straight points to make the score 23-23. The two teams went back-and-forth until the score became 30-30. A kill by Alessandra Dietz and a Panther attack error gave Iowa the first set win. Dailey recorded a set-high 12 assists and Yeager added seven digs.
The Hawkeyes extended their advantage to 2-0 with a 25-13 victory in set two. Iowa opened up a 10-3 lead early and never looked back. Lovell led the Hawkeyes with three kills. Bedell and Dietz each recorded two.
In the third set, Iowa jumped out to a 4-1 lead before Eastern Illinois used a 12-3 run to grab a 13-7 advantage. The Hawkeyes rallied and grabbed a 21-20 lead. The Panthers responded and claimed six of the final nine points to earn a 26-24 third set victory.
Iowa closed out Eastern Illinois in the fourth set with a 25-20 victory. The Hawkeyes opened the game with a 9-6 lead. Iowa extended its advantage to 17-13 and again to 21-16. The Panthers used a 3-0 run to cut the lead to 21-19. The Hawkeyes answered, winning four of the final five points to earn the 3-1 match victory.
Iowa continues action Saturday in the Oakland Tournament. The Hawkeyes face Toledo at 9 a.m. (CT) before squaring off against host Oakland at 6 p.m.
| Iowa vs. Eastern Illinois | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| EIU (2-2) | 30 | 13 | 26 | 20 |
| Iowa (4-1) | 32 | 25 | 24 | 25 |
| Statistical Leaders | |||
| Kills: Thompson, Radke (UI) 12 | Reynae Hutchinson (EIU) 13 | |||
| Assists: Nikki Dailey (UI) 39 | Marah Bradbury (EIU) 25 | |||
| Digs: Bethany Yeager (UI) 26 | Stephanie Wallace (EIU) 18 |