Hawkeyes, Lovell Outlast Idaho State

Sept. 6, 2014

Box Score

TEMPE, Ariz. — The Hawkeye volleyball team won three-straight sets to record a 4-1 comeback victory over Idaho State at the Residence Inn Challenge on Saturday night. Iowa moves to 4-1 overall and 2-0 on the weekend with the win.

“I thought it was a pretty good crescendo for us,” head coach Bond Shymansky said. “We elevated from the first set to the second to the third. We kept getting sharper in everything that we were doing and that carried into the fourth set. Idaho State pressed. I thought they were a really gritty and had a couple terminators that weren’t backing down from us.

“I really liked what our team did at the end of the match when things got tight. Our team responded great and I love to see that steeliness out of our group.”

Senior Alex Lovell led the offensive charge recording a season-high 19 kills and hitting .342 in the match.

“Alex has been so committed for us, you can see it in her senior year,” Shymansky said. “Last weekend she was really good for us, and she was good in practice all week so it’s not a surprise for us when she comes out in a match and does well. She is a player who rehearses all week long what she will be when the lights come on during a match. I’m really proud of what she’s doing as a winner on the court.”

After dropping set one, 25-20, to the Bengals, the Hawkeyes evened the match with a 25-17 set two win. Iowa hit .368 and never trailed in the set. Lovell led the charge with four kills and two service aces, while Alessandra Dietz and Taylin Alm contributed two kills apiece.

The Hawkeyes and Bengals battled back-and-forth through six ties for the fourth set, but Iowa pulled it out 25-22 to stake a 2-1 advantage in the match. Lovell’s eight-kill effort provided momentum for the Hawkeyes, as she recorded three of Iowa’s final six points.

The fourth set was another battle between the teams, as it contained three lead changes and five tie scores. With her team trailing by two late in the set, Michelle Fugarino served up a five-point run to get Iowa to match point, 24-21. A Bengal service error followed, solidifying the Hawkeyes’ four-set victory.

Kaylee Smith dished out a team-high 24 assists in the match, while Fugarino paced the squad with 10 digs. Alm led Iowa with two solo blocks and one block assist.

The Hawkeyes conclude Residence Inn Challenge action with a match against tournament host No. 17 Arizona State on Sunday afternoon. The 1 p.m. (CT) match will be streamed live on the PAC-12 Network, available only through participating television providers. Live stats are available on the volleyball schedule page of hawkeyesports.com.