After a long road trip that included a five-set win at No. 6 Florida, back-to-back sweeps of North Dakota State, and back-to-back losses to No. 14 Northern Iowa and No. 10 Nebraska, the ISU volleyball team was home. 

“It was tough being away from Hilton for so long,” said redshirt freshman Hannah Willms. “We didn’t have any home love from anyone so I think it really helped to get back with our fans.”

Not only was the team in front of a home crowd for the first time since Sept. 3, they also were home for head coach Christy Johnson-Lynch’s record-tying 135th win as an ISU volleyball coach. After the match was over she received a standing ovation from the crowd for her accomplishment.

“The other day someone asked me what I’m going to do when I break the record,” Johnson-Lynch said. “I said what record are you talking about? I’ve just been really lucky to have a great staff and have all these fans. It’s certainly not about me, it’s about the program. I just feel very lucky to be where I’m at.”

No. 16 Cyclones (10-2, 1-0 Big 12) opened conference play with a strong statement, sweeping the Missouri Tigers in straight sets (25-12, 25-18, 25-21). The 12-point first set is the lowest point total allowed by Iowa State this season.

Statistically the Cyclones dominated Missouri on the offensive side of the net. Iowa State had 50 kills to Missouri’s 31 and at the same time had less errors. They also hit at a .402 clip compared to the Tigers’ .191. This marked the first game of the season that the Cyclones had hit over .400.

“I liked how our outsides swung tonight,” Johnson-Lynch said. “There aren’t any nights when everyone hits a high percentage, but I think we making good attack decisions tonight.”

Continuing her hot streak, senior Carly Jenson led the Cyclones on the offensive end totalling 13 kills at a .300 clip. She also had 11 digs which totals her sixth double-double of the year.

Behind Jenson was redshirt freshman Hannah Willms. She hit on a .308 clip and tallied 11 kills, one short of her season-high. Willms also managed two block assists and an ace. 

Not only did the players say it felt good to be back at Hilton, the numbers showed it. Against Northern Iowa in the McLeod Center, Iowa State hit .093. When they faced Nebraska, they hit .087. At Hilton tonight they hit .402.

Another area where the Cyclones picked it up was blocking. Iowa State totaled four blocks against Northern Iowa and only one block against Nebraska. Against Missouri they tallied 8.5 blocks in the match with 6.5 through the first two sets. 

“You could definitely tell our blocking numbers were higher than they have been,” said senior Carly Jenson. “We just got lots of touches on the ball and lots of good set ups.”

Even with Missouri not being ranked, coach Johnson-Lynch knows they just needed a win to get back on track.

“I think the team was just frustrated after the two losses,” Johnson-Lynch said. “I’m happy to win, but I’m also happy to see improvement in the areas we’ve been working on.”