Alabama
Iowa
Volleyball Drops Season Opener at Iowa in Four Sets
8/27/2010 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Aug. 27, 2010
IOWA CITY, Iowa - Sophomore Kayla Fitterer and freshman Brianne Vande Griend combined for 28 of Alabama's 47 kills, but it was not enough as the volleyball team dropped its 2010 season opener to Iowa 3-1 (23-25, 25-14, 29-27, 25-19) on Friday at the Hawkeye Challenge in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. With the loss, the Crimson Tide stands at 0-1 on the season, while the Hawkeyes start their season off at 1-0.
"I thought we started like we wanted to deliver a knockout punch early," Alabama head coach Judy Green said. "Our team execution was very consistent in the first set, but we got anxious in second set and made a lot of unforced errors. I liked how we came back in the third and had a lot of that same drive that we did to start the match. In the fourth set I do not feel like we were reeling off the long third-set loss, and I think we came out and executed well. Our team is still searching for confidence together. I would have liked for us to be more confident in that last set."
Fitterer led all hitters in the match with 15 kills followed closely behind by Vande Griend with 13. Sophomore Kelsey Anderson had a match-high-tying 19 digs, while senior Kayla Schmidt dished out a team-best 22 assists.
Schmidt put the Tide on the board first opening the match with a service ace. Iowa would score on the next play with a kill before Alabama rattled off five consecutive points for the 6-1 lead. The Hawkeyes were able to cut the Tide lead down to two points, once at 7-5 and again at 12-10, but a series of attack errors and a kill by Alabama's Fitterer extended the Tide advantage to seven at 17-10. Alabama looked like it was going to cruise to a first-set victory, however Iowa would string together an 11-3 run late in the frame to pull within one at 24-23. Following a Tide timeout, Fitterer delivered the clinching kill with the feed from junior Stephanie Riley to give Alabama the first set 25-23.
Iowa tallied the first point of the second off a Tide attack error and continued to lead until a block by redshirt sophomore Leigh Moyer and freshman Shelbi Goode tied the set at 8-8. From there, the Hawkeyes would go on to score the next six points, four of which were unearned, to gain a 14-8 advantage. Alabama was able to cut the Iowa edge to three points on three occasions, but a late 8-0 run by Iowa gave the home team the second set tying the match at one set all.
Back-to-back kills for the Tide, one from senior Alyssa Meuth and the other from Goode, put the Tide on top 2-1 to start the third. The set remained close throughout the early parts with the lead going no more than two until a kill from Meuth gave the crimson and white a 9-6 edge. Alabama held the lead, pulling in front by as many as five, until a late 6-1 run by the Hawkeyes gave Iowa a 21-20 lead. Vande Griend threw down a kill for the tie on the next play, but a trio of kills from the Hawkeyes gave Iowa the 24-21 lead. Three consecutive points for the Tide, two off kills and the other an attack error, helped Alabama avoid triple set point. The duration of the set would go back and forth until Iowa tacked on a kill and a block for the 29-27 win.
The Tide wasted no time distancing itself from the Hawkeyes early in the fourth jumping out to a 4-0 lead that included a pair of service aces from Fitterer. Alabama stayed on top by as many as four throughout the first half of the set before a 7-3 Iowa run gave the Hawkeyes their first lead of the fourth for the 17-16 edge. Iowa continued to rack up the points and would soon lead by five points at 21-17. Consecutive kills from Fitterer brought the Tide within three at 22-19, however Iowa would close out the set and match moments later with a trio of kills.
Neither team was able to find an offensive rhythm early on with both unable to reach over .100 through the first two sets. Service errors were also abundant on both sides with a combined 20 in the match. The Hawkeyes were dominant at the net, however, collecting 12.0 blocks to the Tide's 3.0.
"Overall I think this is a huge improvement from this point a year ago," Green added. "We still need to do a better job of not being so terminal. These opening tournaments really show you what you need to work out. Once we eliminate the unforced errors we will be okay."
Alabama will play in its second of three matches at the Hawkeye Challenge on Saturday, Aug. 28 when it takes on the Green Bay Phoenix at 4:30 p.m. CT. In its first match of the tournament, Green Bay fell 3-0 to Southern Illinois. Live scoring will be available and can be found by clicking here.
