Revenge can be sweet, and No. 12 Iowa State got a taste of it Saturday when it swept Kansas in three sets (25-20, 25-23, 25-20).

The Cyclones (15-4, 8-3 Big 12), who were left reeling after a loss to the Jayhawks (13-9, 4-7) two weeks ago, managed to step up their game this time to even the score and ease their minds.

“After playing so poorly down there and losing, I was glad to see that we made some adjustments,” coach Christy Johnson-Lynch said. “We [still] have a lot of work to do, but this is the best we’ve played in a couple of weeks, so that’s encouraging.”

Iowa State took control during the first set, out-killing the Jayhawks 14-11.

Kansas managed to stay with Iowa State defensively, however, as keeping balls alive is the backbone of the Jayhawks’ program. This kept Kansas in the match, and both teams had tallied 16 digs after set one.

During the second set, the Cyclones pulled ahead in all areas except blocking, which was an issue against Kansas last time. By the end of the second set, Iowa State had only two blocks to the Jayhawks’ five.

Part of the problem for the ISU blockers were the KU hitters, who were spiking high.

“When we reach really high, then they can use our hands or hit off the top,” said middle blocker Jamie Straube. “We were trying to go really low, but against good hitters and jumpers they can hit over you.”

Despite the low blocking numbers, the Cyclones’ offense carried them through the second and third sets. This was a stark contrast from two weeks ago, when the ISU offense struggled to get any production.

Only senior Victoria Henson excelled last time, hitting at .308 with 22 kills. This time, Johnson-Lynch was looking for more production out of everyone — particularly the middle blockers — and she got it.

Straube had a phenomenal night, hitting at .556 with 11 kills as opposed to .111 and five in the Oct. 9 matchup.

“It’s always a good feeling when something you’ve worked so hard on pays off in the game,” Straube said. “We worked a lot on transition, and I felt like Alison [Landwehr] and I were really connecting.”

Not only was setter Landwehr connecting with Straube to help her rack up kills, but she also had valuable match herself, contributing with 38 assists and five kills.

“They were definitely keying in on some of our hitters so that left me open,” Landwehr said. “I was glad I could step in there and get some kills for us.”

At the end of the night, the Cyclones’ determination to win paid off. They out-played the Jayhawks in every way, hitting at .290 and holding Kansas to .171.

The win over the Jayhawks has brought relief to some of the Cyclones following their previous loss to the Kansas team two weeks ago. The motivation gained from that loss will not be forgotten this season, however.

“We’re just going to keep moving forward and working hard,” Landwehr said. “We’ve got a lot of tough games coming up.”

The Cyclones will be back in action as they hit the road Wednesday to take on Kansas State at 7 p.m. in Manhattan, Kan.