IOWA CITY, Iowa — After taking sets one and two from No. 8 Minnesota (15-2, 3-1), the Hawkeye volleyball team dropped three sets in a row to the Golden Gophers. The five-set loss brings Iowa’s overall record to 9-7 and Big Ten mark to 0-4.
The Hawkeyes fell behind the Golden Gophers early in set one, but the Hawkeye offense rallied back outscoring their opponent 9-3 to take its first lead of the match, 20-19. A pair of Alex Lovell kills, a kill each from Erin Radke, Alessandra Dietz and Rachael Bedell, and a Radke and Erin Leppek block fueled the burst.
Minnesota only scored once more in the remainder of the set, as Iowa used a five point run, highlighted by kills from Lauren Brobst and Lovell and a Bedell service ace, to secure the set one victory, 25-20.
The Golden Gophers once again took an early lead in set two, before Iowa came thundering back to tie it up 16-16. The teams battled through five more ties and three lead changes, before the Hawkeyes used a pair of Lovell service aces and a Radke and Leppek combination block to edge out Minnesota, 25-23, and stake a 2-0 set advantage heading into the break.
Iowa possessed the momentum early in set three, using a trio of Dietz kills and a kill from Lovell to post a 4-1 lead, but the Gophers regained control using a five point run to pull ahead. Minnesota would not surrender its advantage from there en route to its 25-17 set win. Minnesota followed it up with a 25-17 fourth set win to even the match at two sets apiece.
In the fifth, deciding set, Iowa was able to tie the score three times, but could pull ahead as the Golden Gophers collected the match win in five with a 15-11 result.
Lovell, Dietz, and Bedell reached the double digit kills mark notching 18, 16, and 11 kills in the match, respectively. Setter Nikki Dailey paced the team with 33 assists, while fellow setter Alyssa Klostermann picked up her ninth double-double of the season with 19 assists and 17 digs. Also playing to her ninth double-double was Lovell.
Klostermann (17), Bethany Yeager (16), Kari Mueller (13), and Lovell (12) each recorded double digits in digs, while Leppek led the squad with a six block effort.
The Hawkeyes hit the road for its next two contests at Michigan State on Friday, Oct. 11 and Michigan on Saturday, Oct. 12. First serve for each match is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT.
