Hawkeyes Fall to Pacific to Open Marquette Invite

Stats | Boxscore

Sept. 14, 2012

Box Score

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MILWAUKEE, Wis. — The University of Iowa volleyball team dropped a 3-1 decision to Pacific on Friday in its first match of the Marquette Invitational (17-25, 19-15, 26-24, 22-25). The loss drops the Hawkeyes to 7-4 on the season. The match was held at the Al McGuire Center on the campus of Marquette University.

Junior Nikki Dailey recorded her fifth-straight double-double, and team-best seventh overall, with 40 assists and 10 digs. Classmate Bethany Yeager led the defense with a match-high 28 digs. Alli O’Deen (12), Rachael Bedell (11) and Kari Mueller (10) also recorded double-digit digs. The 12 digs marked a career-high for O’Deen. Alex Lovell led Iowa with a season-high 18 kills and Alessandra Dietz turned in a career-best 13.

Pacific (9-1) jumped out to an 8-1 lead in the opening set, forcing a Hawkeye timeout. Iowa cut the Tiger lead to four points at 13-9 and continued its run to force a Pacific timeout, trailing 16-15. The Tigers claimed the next three points to regain a four-point advantage at 19-15 and force a Hawkeye timeout. Following the break, Pacific won six of the final eight points to win the opening set, 25-17. The Tigers hit .323 in the frame with 16 kills, while limiting Iowa to a .083 attack percentage and nine kills. Dietz led the way with four kills.

Pacific grabbed a 9-4 advantage in the second game, forcing a Hawkeye timeout. The two teams went back-and-forth throughout the set. Trailing 16-12, Iowa used a 4-1 run to cut the lead to one at 17-16 and force a Pacific timeout. The Tigers claimed eight of the final 11 points to win the set, 25-19, and push their match lead to 2-0. Chante’ Thompson led all with four kills and Yeager collected a set-high 11 digs.

The Hawkeyes opened a 7-4 lead in the third frame. Pacific tied it up at 12-12 before Iowa used a four-point run to grab a 16-12 advantage. A 4-1 Tiger run evened the score at 17-17. With the game tied at 21-21, the Hawkeyes scored the next three points to earn set point at 24-21. Pacific answered with a three point run of its own to even the score at 24-24. Two consecutive kills by Lovell gave Iowa a 26-24 third set victory. Lovell turned in a set-high nine kills and Dailey tallied a set-best 14 assists. O’Deen added a set-high eight digs. The Hawkeyes out-hit Pacific, .173 to .160.

The Tigers ran out to a 6-1 lead in the fourth frame. An 8-4 Iowa run cut the Pacific advantage to one at 10-9. The Tigers pushed their lead to 19-15 to force a Hawkeye timeout. Iowa scored five of the next eight points to force a Pacific timeout, trailing 22-20. The Tigers claimed three of the final five points to win the set, 25-22, and the match, 3-1. The Hawkeyes recorded their best hitting percentage in the final set (.277).

Iowa continues action today in the Marquette Invitational. The Hawkeyes face Milwaukee at 4:30 p.m. (CT).