It has been 17 years since Iowa State last fell to Iowa on the volleyball court, but the Cyclones’ 10th consecutive win against their in-state rival proved one of the most difficult to capture.

“I think [Iowa is] a good team and probably the best I have seen them,” said ISU head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch. “It is always such an interesting match because you feel like they play 10 times better than what you saw in film because of the rivalry.”

The ISU volleyball team (6-3, 0-0 Big 12) defeated Iowa (8-3, 0-0 Big 10) in straight sets 25-23, 25-22, 25-15. Yet, Iowa State’s triumph appeared more in doubt during the match than what the stat sheet might indicate.

Johnson-Lynch said the victory boiled down to just a few points at the end of the first and second sets.

“We call critical points the points when you’re 23-all or at match point,” Johnson-Lynch said. “Those are always big points and [the question is] can you make a good, aggressive decision in that moment? Every time you do that, you learn a little bit. You do gain confidence.”

The Cyclones found themselves in need of a few critical points when they were tied with Iowa 23-23 at the end of the first set. As has been a theme for Iowa State all season, it was young talent that rose up to respond to the challenge.

Middle blocker and redshirt freshman Samara West jumped and stuffed an Iowa attack to claim a 24-23 lead for the Cyclones.

On the next point, West snuffed out the Hawkeyes’ hopes with a spike that found home on the Iowa side of the court, earning the Cyclones its first set and sending the largest crowd of the season into a frenzy.

“That changed our momentum tremendously,” said sophomore outside hitter Ciara Capezio. “When you have big blocks and kills like that, it gets everyone pumped up and ready to just get that last point.”

Freshman middle blocker Alexis Conaway said the excitement in Hilton Coliseum at the height of the competition inspired Iowa State and made her first Cy-Hawk experience a memorable one.

“It is exciting,” Conaway said. “Everyone is excited to be there. Just to be surrounded by everyone who loves volleyball and everyone cheering us on, it is a fun experience.”

Conaway made her mark in every aspect of the match, tallying 10 kills, six digs and five block assists while leading Iowa State with a hitting percentage of .438.

She said that aside from West’s clutch performance on back-to-back points, the keys to Iowa State’s victories in the first two sets were the team’s calm and consistency.

“As [the match] gets closer, you know the score, but for us the big thing was just to stay consistent and stay steady,” Conaway said. “Forcing them to play the ball and forcing them to make the mistakes is what makes a difference.”

After another close contest in the second set, Iowa State was able to pull away in set number three as the ISU talent coupled with the atmosphere inside Hilton proved simply too much for the Hawkeyes to overcome.

Senior setter and defensive specialist Taylor Goetz said that the narrow triumph was a satisfying way to cap her career in the Cy-Hawk Series.

“Every year it is fun to get the win against the Hawkeyes,” Goetz said. “I am from Iowa, so I have always had that rivalry in me. It is always a fun game to play.”

Johnson-Lynch said that the win is of the utmost importance for the Cyclones, as they have only one match remaining before heading into Big 12 play and the toughest opponents of their schedule.

“We know how much this means to the series,” Johnson-Lynch said. “It is important that we contribute to the Cy-Hawk Series and that we beat good teams. We want to see it at the end of the year. We want to be ranked … and this type of match helps us get there.”