Oct. 26, 2013
- Read the October issue of Hawk Talk Monthly
- Download your Iowa Hawkeye iPad/iPhone app!
- Download your Iowa Hawkeye Android app!
- Big Ten Network: Free Hawkeye Video
- 24 Hawkeyes to Watch
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The University of Iowa volleyball team fell 3-0 to No. 2 Penn State on Saturday night in Rec Hall. During the action, outside hitter Alex Lovell became the 17th player in Iowa volleyball history to reach the 1,000 career kills threshold.
“It’s a great accomplishment for me, but I think it speaks more for the team for giving me the opportunity to get my 1,000th kill,” Lovell said. “My thanks and gratitude goes out to them.”
Hawkeye Erin Radke opened set one with a kill to give Iowa the lead, but Penn State followed with a 16-4 offensive surge to pull ahead. Radke used her second and third kills of the set to break up the Nittany Lion scoring drive, while Rachael Bedell and Alessandra Dietz each added one kill to make it 17-5. An additional Rake kill, a Penn State error, and a Radke and Erin Leppek combination block rounded out scoring for the Hawkeyes in set one, as the Nittany Lions collected the 25-8 win.
Iowa used a pair of Penn State errors to knot the second set 2-2 before the Nittany Lions recovered with a four-point run that was ended by a Dietz kill. Penn State outscored the Hawkeyes 19-5 to record the second set win by a score of 25-18. A pair of kills from Bedell highlighted Hawkeye scoring down the stretch.
Set three stayed close early as the Hawkeyes and Nittany Lions played through a trio of ties and a pair of lead changes within the first seven points. A kill from Dietz and three from Lovell, the first of which equaled her 1,000th career kill, fueled Iowa.
“(Lovell is) an outside hitter who works hard,” head coach Sharon Dingman said. “So, good for her.”
Penn State outscored Iowa 20-7 to take the third set, 25-11, and the match, 3-0. Kills from Leppek, Bedell, Radke, and Dietz highlighted the Hawkeye scoring effort.
Radke paced the Hawkeye offense with five kills and Dietz led the way with a .273 hitting percentage. Alyssa Klostermann dished out a team-most eight assists, and Bethany Yeager posted a team-high 15 dig effort. Dietz added the lone solo block for the Hawkeyes.
The Hawkeyes are back in action at home next Friday and Saturday, Nov. 1-2. Iowa faces Northwestern at 7 p.m. CT on Friday and Illinois at 7 p.m. CT on Saturday on Mediacom Court in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
Friday is Hawks Nest Night and all Hawks Nest members will receive free pizza and pop and can register to win Iowa volleyball prizes. The first 250 fans in the door receive a free rally towel.
Saturday is Camper Reunion Night and all campers can register to win Iowa volleyball prizes. The match will feature Kids Zone, post-match autographs with the Hawkeyes, and the first 250 fans will receive a complimentary canvas tote. Fans can enter the match free of charge with their football ticket stub from the Iowa vs. Wisconsin game.