Top-Ranked Penn State Downs Iowa

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Oct. 24, 2012

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IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa volleyball team fell in straight sets to top-ranked Penn State on Wednesday night (15-25, 19-25, 15-25). The match, Iowa’s second-straight BTN contest, was played on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The win improves the Nittany Lions’ record to 21-1 overall and 11-0 in Big Ten play; the Hawkeyes fall to 10-14 and 2-9 in league action.

“They keep coming at you,” said head coach Sharon Dingman about No. 1 Penn State. “I thought we did some nice things tonight, but their size overwhelmed us.”

Junior Nikki Dailey led Iowa with 26 assists and nine digs. Classmate Rachael Bedell paced the team with eight kills. Sophomore Alessandra Dietz and junior Chante’ Thompson added six kills. Sophomore Erin Leppek equaled a season-high with four kills and added two blocks.

Leading 9-7 in the opening frame, Penn State used an 8-3 run to take control of the set, leading 16-10. The Nittany Lions then claimed nine of the final 14 points to earn the first set victory, 25-15. The visitors hit .500, limiting the Hawkeyes to a .088 attack percentage. Dailey turned in a set-best four digs and added nine assists.

Iowa jumped out to a 13-9 lead in the second set, forcing a Penn State timeout. Following the break in action, the Nittany Lions took their first lead of the frame with a 6-1 run to make the score 15-14. Penn State’s momentum continued throughout the remainder of the set en route to a 25-19 Nittany Lion victory. The visitors turned in a .300 attack percentage and limited the home team to .079.

After the intermission, the Hawkeyes grabbed a 9-7 lead. Penn State used a four point run to regain the lead, 11-9. The Nittany Lions extended their lead to 18-12, forcing an Iowa timeout. The visitors finished with a 7-3 run to win the set and the match, 25-15. Penn State hit .333 in the final frame and the Hawkeyes registered a .069 hitting percentage.

Iowa continues action this weekend, hosting No. 20 Ohio State (15-7, 6-4) on Saturday. The match will begin at 7 p.m. on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The contest can be heard live on AM-800 KXIC. Admission is $5 for adults, and free for youth and UI students.