Cyclone volleyball topples Panthers for second year
August 31, 2006
Although it took four games, Iowa State dismantled intrastate rival Northern Iowa for the second consecutive year Wednesday night at Hilton Coliseum.
“UNI has always been known for its volleyball program, and it’s important to get this win two years in a row just to show that last year wasn’t a fluke,” said junior Erin Boeve. “We just really needed to come out here and prove ourselves.”
The Cyclones did that in a dominating fashion at the net, using towering blocks and swings to break down the UNI offense.
“We have a great blocking team, one of the top in the conference last year and I think we will be again,” said ISU coach Christy Johnson. “Our block can definitely intimidate teams, and when you have Boeve clamping down on you and you hit three into the block, you pretty much have no choice but to start tipping and rolling. When we do that we can start scoring.”
Iowa State’s Alyssa Gintant reaches for the ball during a game against Northern Iowa on Wednesday night in Hilton Coliseum. The Cyclones beat the Panthers for the second-straight year, 3-1. Photo: Alison Sickelka/Iowa State Daily
Iowa State kept Northern Iowa to limited hitting options and percentages throughout the match while finding ways to improve its own offense.
FASTTRAK
Volleyball Schedule 2006:
>> Hawkeye Challenge
August 25 – Chicago State – at Iowa City 3 – 0 (W)
Aug. 26 – Drake – at Iowa City 3 – 0 (W)
Aug. 26 – Iowa – at Iowa City 3 – 2 (W)
>> Aug. 30 – Northern Iowa – Ames 3 – 1 (W)
>> Holiday Inn Irvine Classic
9 p.m. Sept. 1 – UC Irvine – at Irvine, Calif.
1 p.m. Sept. 2 – Michigan – at Irvine, Calif.
6:30 p.m. Sept. 2 – San Diego – at Irvine, Calif.
>> 6:30 p.m. Sept. 6 – UMKC – Ames
>> Cyclone Classic
6:30 p.m. Sept. 8 – Valparaiso – Ames
4 p.m. Sept. 9 – South Dakota State – Ames
6:30 p.m. Sept. 16 – Baylor – Ames
>> 7 p.m. Sept. 20 – Nebraska – at Lincoln, Neb.
>> 6:30 p.m. Sept. 23 – Oklahoma – Ames
>> 7 p.m. Sept. 27 – Kansas State – at Manhattan, Kan.
>> 7 p.m. Sept. 30 – Kansas – at Lawrence, Kan.
>> 6:30 p.m. Oct. 3 – Texas – Ames
>> 6:30 p.m. Oct. 7 – Missouri – Ames
>> 8 p.m. Oct. 11 – Colorado – at Boulder, Colo.
>> 7 p.m. Oct. 14 – Texas Tech – at Lubbock
, Texas
>> 6:30 p.m. Oct. 18 – Texas A&M – Ames
>> 7 p.m. Oct. 21 – Baylor – at Waco, Texas
>> 6:30 p.m. Oct. 25 – Kansas State – Ames
>> 6:30 p.m. Nov. 1 – Missouri – at Columbia, Mo.
>> 6:30 p.m. Nov. 4 – Kansas – Ames
>> 6:30 p.m. Nov. 8 – Nebraska – Ames
>> 2 p.m. Nov. 12 – Texas A&M – at College Station, Texas
>> 5 p.m. Nov. 15 – Texas Tech – Ames
>> 6:30 p.m. Nov. 18 – Texas – at Austin, Texas
>> 7 p.m. Nov. 22 – Oklahoma – at Norman, Okla.
>> 2 p.m. Nov. 25 – Colorado – Ames
>> NCAA First/Second Rounds
Nov. 30 – Dec. 3
>> NCAA Regionals
Dec. 7 – Dec. 10
>> NCAA Championship
Dec. 14 – Dec. 16
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The Cyclones found their hitting niche early in game one, but Northern Iowa was persistent early on and the teams continued trading points. Iowa State gradually pulled away with a series of kills, including three in a row from senior Katie Jessen, and cruised to the 30-19 win.
Nine ties and six lead changes framed the scattered control in game two as Iowa State’s blocks were countered by Northern Iowa’s ability to find holes in the backcourt.
Junior Laura Cady’s defensive skills during a madcap rally for the 25th point received roars from the crowd, but the resurgence in the game was too soon for comfort. UNI junior Laura Rowen used two straight aces for points 28 and 29, and an ISU hitting error let Northern Iowa take the game 30-28.
“When you give a team a chance to compete, they start to believe they can win the game and they show more energy and play harder,” Johnson said. “I thought we had them on the ropes that second game and had a pretty good spread, but we got lackadaisical and let them back in the match.”
Jessen recorded seven of her 22 blocks in game three, setting the tone for Iowa State’s overwhelming offensive front. A 30-23 win was the reward of the Cyclones aggressive work.
Iowa State used six straight points in game four to begin the last game of the night, and Boeve used five block assists to take away any hopes for a UNI comeback.
Senior Nicole Lorenzen, finding her groove after a shaky start, capped the match with a back row kill.
“She can just take a game over,” Johnson said. “She is so physical, so athletic, such a dominant player, that she makes hitters think about what they’re hitting against her.”
Behind Jessen’s crushing offensive output and second-best 15 digs, Boeve and Klein scoured the net with 14 and 11 kills, respectively. Boeve tallied three solo blocks and nine block assists, and Klein hit a solid .474 on the night. The team hit a collective .224 to Northern Iowa’s .072, and recorded 16.5 blocks to the Panthers 11.
Four ISU players nabbed double digits in digs as senior Katie Churm led the pack with 26, while Lorenzen and Cady chipped in a combined 24 saves. Sophomore setter Alyssa Gintant ran the floor with 50 assists.
UNI hitter Rowen had 20 kills against the Cyclones, and junior setter Kristin Belzung offered 41 assists and six block assists.
The game clinched the mythical state championship and set the stage for what battles could ensue with Northern Iowa in years to come.
“They’re just as much as a rival as Iowa, maybe even more with playing them every year,” Jessen said. “It’s more head-to-head and competitive, and we really proved we could do it again.”
Other volleyball resources from ISD:
Experienced volleyball team ready to spike the competition
ISU volleyball team competing for points in Cy-Hawk series
Cyclone volleyball opens home season against rival Northern Iowa
