Cyclones gear up for final road match
Right side hitter Kelsey Petersen and outside hitter Victoria Hurtt attempt to make a block on Wednesday, Nov. 16 at Hilton Coliseum.
November 17, 2011
The ISU volleyball team is preparing for its final road match of the regular season to take on Baylor in Waco, Texas.
No. 13 Iowa State (21-4, 12-2 Big 12) swept the Bears (18-12, 5-9) in the teams’ first meeting in Ames on Oct. 15.
“When they played up here, they didn’t play well, but they’re still a good team,” said ISU coach Christy Johnson-Lynch. “They’re fighting for a chance to get into the tournament, this is a huge match for them.”
Middle blocker Briana Tolbert leads the Bears’ offensive attack, averaging 2.83 kills per set while hitting at a .347 clip, good for the third-best attack percentage in the conference among players averaging at least three attempts per set.
While Tolbert has had a consistent senior campaign offensively, the Bears’ strength can be found in their defense.
“Baylor is always a good defensive team,” said ISU middle blocker Kelsey Petersen. “In the Big 12 this year, any team can win on any night.”
Petersen added that Baylor and Iowa State are comparable when it comes to the defensive side of the net.
The Cyclones lead the Big 12 in digs per set at 17.81, followed closely by the Bears, who rank second in the conference with 17.53 digs per set.
Saturday’s match will also feature two of the premiere liberos in the conference as Iowa State’s Kristen Hahn and Baylor’s Allison King lead the conference in digs per set.
“Baylor is very athletic, they’re pretty physical and they have a pretty physical block,” Johnson-Lynch said. “Like every Big 12 road match, it’s going to be a challenge for us and we’re going to have to play well to win.”
The Bears average 1.99 blocks per set this season, led by Tolbert with 98 blocks on the season.
Senior outside hitter Carly Jenson said that Baylor has the potential to play with the best teams in the conference, highlighting their recent 3-1 victory over Oklahoma.
“They’re a team that can surprise you,” Jenson said. “They’ve beat some teams that they aren’t supposed to. I think the main thing is for us to play our game.”
The Cyclones’ match against Baylor will start at 2 p.m. Saturday in Waco, Texas.
