No. 21 Purdue Downs Iowa

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Nov. 8, 2012

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IOWA CITY, Iowa — The University of Iowa volleyball team fell in straight sets to No. 21 Purdue on Thursday night (20-25, 11-25, 21-25). The match, shown live on Mediacom (MC22) and BTN.com, was played on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The win improves the Boilermakers’ record to 19-7 overall and 10-5 in Big Ten play; the Hawkeyes fall to 10-18 and 2-13 in league action. The victory gives Purdue a split of the season series. Iowa won the first meeting between the two league foes, 3-0, in West Lafayette, Ind., on Oct. 6.

“I was pleased with the way we competed tonight,” said head coach Sharon Dingman. “In the second set, we got a little overwhelmed by a really good Purdue team that is playing great. That team has a lot to play for right now, and Purdue played that way.”

Sophomore Alex Lovell and junior Rachael Bedell led Iowa with nine kills. Sophomore Alessandra Dietz added four kills, hitting .231. Junior Nikki Dailey paced the team with 19 assists and recorded a match-high two service aces. Freshman Anne Yanda added seven assists. Junior Bethany Yeager, who ranks fifth all-time in program history with 1,466 career digs, recorded a match-high 19.

In the opening frame, the Hawkeyes jumped out to an 8-4 lead. The Boilermakers, winners of five-straight overall, used a 9-5 run to even the set at 13-13, forcing an Iowa timeout. Purdue sustained its momentum following the break, scoring five of the first six points to grab an 18-14 advantage. The league foes went back-and-forth to conclude the frame, giving the visitors a 25-20 first set victory. Purdue hit .250, limiting Iowa to a .129 attack percentage.

The Boilermakers jumped out to a 10-5 lead in the second set. Purdue hit .600 on its way to a 25-11 set victory and a 2-0 match lead. The visitors limited Iowa to a .037 hitting percentage in the frame.

Following the intermission, Purdue captured 10 of the first 12 points in the third set. The Hawkeyes responded, using a 12-6 run to cut the Boilermaker lead to two points at 16-14. The visitors answered, using a 7-2 scoring run to grab a 23-16 lead. Iowa fought back, cutting the score to three at 24-21. A kill by Purdue’s Val Nichol secured the set win, 25-21, and gave the Boilermakers the 3-0 match victory.

Purdue hit .262 in the final frame and .340 overall. The Hawkeyes registered a .154 third set hitting percentage. Iowa hit .118 for the match.

Iowa continues action Saturday night, hosting Indiana on Mediacom Court at Carver-Hawkeye Arena at 7 p.m. The Hawkeyes claimed the first meeting between the two teams, 3-1, on Oct. 5 in Bloomington, Ind.

“We are going to have to start off well,” said Dingman about the match against the Hoosiers. “Their middles are playing really well right now. They give everybody problems in the Big Ten. Indiana is playing well. It should be a really good match.”