Nov. 10, 2013
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MADISON, Wis. — The University of Iowa volleyball team fell in straight sets, 3-0, to No. 16 Wisconsin on the road on Sunday afternoon. With the loss, the Hawkeyes fall to 10-16 overall and 1-13 in Big Ten action. The Badgers are now 19-7 in 2013 with an 8-6 conference mark.
Wisconsin opened the match in dominant fashion, outscoring the Hawkeyes 11-1. A Rachael Bedell kill broke up the drive, but the Badger offense did not falter recording a 25-9 win in set one. Erin Radke and Erin Leppek paced the Hawkeye offense with two kills apiece.
The Badgers continued its offensive surge in the second set, opening with a 5-0 rally. The Hawkeyes responded by outscoring Wisconsin 6-3 to cut the deficit down to two points, 8-6. A trio of kills from Alex Lovell combined with a kill each from Bedell, Radke, and Alessandra Dietz fueled the Iowa push.
The Hawkeyes stayed within two until the Badgers went on a 7-1 scoring drive to establish an eight point cushion. Wisconsin went on to close it out, 25-14, as Iowa managed just one additional kill from Radke in the remainder of the set.
Iowa and Wisconsin played back and forth for the third set, which contained 10 ties and three lead changes. A pair of Dietz kills and a service ace, three Bedell kills, two Lovell kills, and a Radke kill helped the Hawkeyes knot the set, 11-11, before the Badgers used a 4-0 run to pull ahead.
Wisconsin would not surrender its lead from there, despite a late charge provided by a Lovell kill and a pair of Radke and Leppek blocks at match point, to record the set win, 25-20, and match victory, 3-0. In the match, Wisconsin outhit Iowa .367 to .060.
Lovell led Iowa with eight kills, while Leppek posted a team-high .333 hitting percentage. Nikki Dailey dished out 18 assists, and Leppek paced the team in blocks with one solo and two assisted blocks. Dailey also recorded a team-most nine digs. Bethany Yeager is now two digs from tying and three digs from breaking the school record of 1,931 career digs after tallying five in the match.
The Hawkeyes are back on Mediacom Court in Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Nov. 15-16. Iowa faces Michigan on Friday, Nov. 15 and Michigan State on Saturday, Nov. 16. Both contests begin at 7 p.m. CT, and the Michigan State match will be shown live on Mediacom’s MC22.
Friday’s match marks Military Appreciation Night, and the first 50 students to enter the match and present their student ID card will receive a free hot dog.
Saturday is Junior Hawk Club Night, and members of the club can register for a tour and to win Iowa volleyball prizes at the match. The Hawkeyes will also sign autographs on the court following the completion of the match.