Iowa State came into Friday morning’s tilt against the Western Carolina Catamounts looking to build off of a good win against the Northern Iowa Panthers on Tuesday.

The Cyclones did end up beating the Catamounts 3-1 in the first game of the Appalachian Invitational in Boone, North Carolina, but it wasn’t an easy match for the Cyclones.

Set one was close at first as Iowa State didn’t hold a five-point lead until the score was 12-7. 

Iowa State held a 23-16 lead when freshman Kate Shannon hit back-to-back kills to win set one for Iowa State 25-16. 

The second set was not as lopsided, as Iowa State led 24-20 and was on set point when Western Carolina hit three kills in a row and scored off of an error to tie the set at 24-24. 

At that point, the Cyclones and Catamounts traded blows and the set was tied at 30. 

The Cyclones had set point for the 12th time in the set, holding a 31-30 lead when sophomore right-side player Eleanor Holthaus got a kill and the Cyclones won the second set 32-30.

Western Carolina was in control of the third set as it held an 18-15 lead in the set over Iowa State.

However, Iowa State would then go on a four to nothing scoring run and take a 19-18 lead.

Western Carolina took the lead right back at 21-19. The Catamounts had set point with a 24-22 lead, but an attacking error and a kill by Iowa State freshman outside hitter Annie Hatch tied the match at 24.

A pair of kills by the Catamounts led the Cyclones to drop the third set 26-24.

Set four was tied at 18 but Iowa State then outscored Western Carolina 7-2 to take set three 25-20 and the match 3-1.

The Cyclones will be back in action at 5:30 p.m. on Friday against the host team of the Appalachian Invitational, the Appalachian State Mountaineers, who beat Western Carolina 3-1 on Thursday.