CORALVILLE, Iowa – Despite eight kills and six blocks from sophomore Khenedi Guest, the Redbirds fell to tournament host Iowa on Friday afternoon on the second day of the Kwik Star Klassic, hosted by the Hawkeyes.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Set (19-25): The first set saw five tie scores and a lead change, as the Redbirds used a strong early block to jump ahead 5-2 early in the set before the hosts fought back and tied the score at six, seven, and nine. The hosts stretched their lead late in the set, securing the six-point win.
Second Set (17-25): Despite not leading during the set, the Redbirds stayed close, and were knotted as late in the set as 14-14; however, after that the hosts used four straight points to stretch out to an 18-14 lead, and the Hawkeyes cruised the rest of the set in a 25-17 win.
Third Set (26-28): The third set saw as many tie scores as the previous two sets combined and had six lead changes. The largest lead by either squad in the third frame was four points when Iowa led 9-5; however, that lead was immediately answered with a 4-0 Redbird run to tie the score at nine. The Redbirds twice defended against match point; however, the third time was the charm for the Hawkeyes, as they took advantage of a match-ending 2-0 run to topple the Redbirds.
KEY STATISTICS
- Guest had a team-high eight blocks for ISU, hitting at a .467 percentage, a new season-high for the sophomore
- Ne'Khaela Rogers had a career-high seven kills for the Redbirds, while adding a pair of service aces, also a career-high for the freshman
- Logan Grevengoed added a half dozen kills and a half dozen blocks for the Redbirds; the kills are tied for her second-most this season, while the six blocks are her most this season
- Audrey Clark's 14 assists for the most on the team, and was trailed by Ella Craggs' 12
- Arianna Rossi led the team with nine digs, while Clark was close behind with eight, the second-highest total in her career
NEXT UP
ISU remains in Iowa for the last of the three days of the tournament, with the squad facing off against the Butler Bulldogs in an 11 a.m. first serve.
