Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Iowa
Spartan Volleyball Falls At Iowa, 3-1
9/25/2004 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 25, 2004
IOWA CITY, Iowa - Marley Bellwood had a career-best 23 digs and Kim Schram had 20 kills on .345 hitting as Michigan State volleyball (5-5, 0-2 Big Ten) fell at Iowa (9-4, 2-0 Big Ten), 3-1. Game scores in the match were 24-30, 30-28, 30-17, 20-30.
Brooke Langston was the only other Spartan with a double-figure kills total at 10. Three Spartans - Diana Steplyk, Maggie Griffin and Marley Bellwood - posted at least 10 digs in the match. Freshman setter Maggie Griffin had 48 assists in the match to go along with 15 digs and two block solos.
The Spartans and Iowa were tied at 16-16 in the first game before Iowa pulled out to a 25-18 lead. The Spartans weren't able to cut the lead any closer than five (27-22), and Iowa took the first game, 30-24. Langston had a team-best six kills in the game, while Johnson contributed four and a service ace. Griffin posted 14 assists to go along with five digs and a kill. Libero Marley Bellwood had five digs, and her sister, Tracy Bellwood, had four in the defensive specialist role. Iowa hit .326 to the Spartans' .153.
The second game saw Iowa jump out to an early 15-5 lead before the Spartans were able to battle back and close the Hawkeye lead to three (24-21), thanks to a four-point service run from Marley Bellwood. State hung close, eventually tying the game at 27 before taking the win at 30-28. Schram had eight kills in the MSU win, while Diana Steplyk added three of her own. Griffin contributed another 14 assists and a service ace. Meghan Schoen had two kills and a service ace in the game. State held Iowa to a .105 attack percentage, while hitting .173.
In the third game, Iowa opened up an 11-point lead at 24-13 before pulling out to win the third, 30-17. Schram had three kills, while Langston added two. Griffin had 12 assists. The Spartans hit just .083 in the game, with 12 kills and nine errors on 36 total attacks. The Hawkeyes hit .333 with 15 kills and four errors on 33 total attacks.
The Spartans kept the fourth game close early, not trailing by more than three points until the Hawkeyes opened up a six-point lead at 18-12. From there, the Hawkeyes took control of the game, winning 30-20. Schram posted six kills in the game, as the Spartans hit .188 with 15 kills and six errors on 48 total attacks. Iowa hit .378 in the final game of the match, with 20 kills and three errors on 45 attacks.
The match marked Michigan State's first loss in Iowa City since Nov. 12, 1994, and is just the second time the Spartans have opened the Big Ten season at 0-2 since the same year.
Michigan State opens its Big Ten season at home on Friday, Oct. 1 with a 7 p.m. match against Indiana in Jenison Field House. The Spartans then take on Purdue on Saturday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m.
Iowa 3, Michigan State 1 (Iowa City, Iowa)Michigan State K E TA Pct.Game 1 19 10 59 .136Game 2 15 6 52 .173Game 3 12 9 36 .083Game 4 15 6 48 .188TOTAL 61 31 196 .153
Iowa K E TA Pct.Game 1 17 2 46 .326Game 2 18 12 57 .105Game 3 15 4 33 .333Game 4 20 3 45 .378TOTAL 70 21 184 .266
