IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa volleyball fell to 6-2 on the season following a 3-1 loss to Ball State at the Hawkeye Challenge on Friday night. The Hawkeyes hold a 1-1 record after day one of their home tournament.
After dropping the opening set 25-14 to Ball State, the Hawkeyes rebounded with a 25-23 set two win. A 9-0 Iowa run helped the Hawkeyes take a 10-point advantage early in the set. Alyssa Klostermann put on a serving clinic in the stretch notching three aces. A pair of Alex Lovell kills, an Emily Yanny and Lauren Brobst block, and a Lovell and Yanny block rounded out the scoring drive.
The Cardinals worked their way back into the set tying it 20-20, but Iowa used a block from Alessandra Dietz and Brobst followed by a Dietz kill to close it out and even the match one set apiece.
Iowa and Ball State battled through four lead changes and six ties in the third set. After the Cardinals went up 3-1 early, the Hawkeyes edged their way back with a three-point run to gain an advantage. Ball State then used a pair of runs to post a 9-6 lead. Iowa fired back outscoring their opponents 9-1. Three Nikki Dailey service aces highlighted the run, along with two Dietz kills.
Ball State once again responded with a five point run to tie it up and seize the momentum in the match. The Hawkeyes came back once more before the Cardinals outscored Iowa 7-2 to close set three, 25-20.
The Cardinals used a three point run to jump ahead 3-0 in the fourth set and never looked back en route to 25-17 set win and a 3-1 match victory.
“We just got pushed around by a team that was way more physical than us,” head coach Sharon Dingman said. “I think we just have to figure some things out. Western is going to come at us the same way Ball State did and then some.”
Lovell paced Iowa with 11 kills, while Bethany Yeager had a team best 20-dig performance. Klostermann recorded the lone double-double of the match (12 assists and 10 kills) and also notched a season-high four service aces in the match. Dailey also posted a season-high with three service aces.
“Well service aces do help because they’re a quick point, but we don’t do enough of it,” said Dingman. “That’s how Nikki (Dailey) served all last year. We’ve been waiting to see that.”
