CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Coe took a 2-1 lead with a convincing 25-12 win in the third set Wednesday night at Eby Fieldhouse, but Dubuque used two late rallies for a 3-2 Iowa Conference victory.  The Spartans won the fourth set 30-28 and held on for a 15-12 win in the final set.The Spartans jumped out to early leads in each of the first two sets, with a 5-0 lead in the first and 9-2 lead in the second.  The Kohawks overcame the deficent in the first set, going on a 14-2 run, which eventually led to 25-19 victory.  Sophomores Molly Steffens (Peosta, Iowa/Western Dubuque) and Kaitlin McClimon (DeWitt, Iowa/Central) combined for 11 kills in the first set.

Dubuque used its 9-2 early advantage in the second game to hold on for a 25-19 victory.  Coe hit just .129 in the set with 10 kills on 31 attempts.  The Kohawks bounced back in a big way in the third set with a 25-12 victory.  With just 11 kills, the Kohawks hit .375, led by three kills by freshman Kelsey Heins (Postville, Iowa/Postville).

The two teams exchanged blows late in the fourth set, with the Spartans finally coming away with a 30-28 victory.  The two teams combined for 37 kills and just 11 errors in the fourth set. 

The Spartans once again jumped on the Kohawks early in the fifth set, as they rushed to a 5-0 lead.  Coe didn't go away, using a 10-5 run of its own to tie the match.  A block by McClimon put the Kohawks on top 12-11, but back-to-back points, followed by an ace, gave the Spartans their first Iowa Conference win.

Freshman Emily Ryan (Mt. Vernon, Iowa/Mt. Vernon) and Steffens each tallied a team-high 22 digs.  Freshman Brittany Shickell (Nevada, Iowa/Nevada) also had 21 digs for the Kohawks.  Ryan also added a game-high 41 assists.  Steffens and McClimon each added 16 kills, both tied for the game-high.

The Kohawks return to action Friday night when they host Iowa Wesleyan in a non-conference match.  The two teams will face each other at 7:30 p.m. in Eby Fieldhouse.