Sept. 27, 2013
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CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — In its 2013 Big Ten Conference opener, the University of Iowa volleyball team fell to No. 24 Illinois, 3-0. The loss brings the Hawkeyes’ record to 9-4 on the season, while the Illini moves to 5-6 overall and 1-0 in conference play.
After falling behind 6-3 to Illinois in set one, Iowa surged back with a six point scoring drive to tie the match at 10 apiece. Setter Nikki Dailey served up the effort which included kills from Erin Radke and Rachael Bedell, an Alessandra Dietz and Lauren Brobst combo block, and a Dailey service ace.
The match stayed tight until Illinois used a three point run followed by a four point run to develop a cushion. Iowa used kills from Bedell and Brobst, and a Dietz solo block for a late push, but Illinois was able to close out the set, 25-19.
Illinois controlled the second set early, but Iowa charged back outscoring the Illini 6-1 to tie the match 12-12. Kills from Bedell and Dietz, a Dietz and Brobst block, and a Dietz service ace highlighted the drive. Three ties followed before the Illini went running outscoring the Hawkeyes 9-2 to record the set two win, 25-18.
Lovell tallied Iowa’s first four kills of the third set allowing Iowa to establish an early 4-3 advantage over Illinois. The Hawkeyes sustained their lead with kills from Radke, Dietz, Brobst and Lovell and an Erin Leppek service ace until the Illini regained control of the set with a five-point drive.
The Illinois lead withstood a late Iowa run, fueled by a Brobst kill, Dietz and Brobst block, and Julianne Blomberg service ace, allowing the Illini to take set three, 25-21, and the match 3-0.
Lovell led the way for Iowa tallying 11 kills in the contest, while Dailey played to her fourth double-double of the year notching a team-high 17 assists and 12 digs. Also reaching the double digit threshold in digs with 10 was Bethany Yeager. Dietz paced the Hawkeyes with four blocks, while Brobst added three.
The Hawkeyes resume Big Ten play tomorrow evening at Northwestern. First serve is set for 7 p.m. CT. The match will be streamed live by the Big Ten Digital Network and can be viewed at BTN.com or through the BTN2Go application. Live audio and Gametracker is also available at hawkeyesports.com.