Normally a jersey number doesn’t reflect the talent of a player, but the number one on Carly Jenson’s back accurately described the outside hitter’s performance Wednesday night against the Cornhuskers.

The Omaha, Neb. native faced her biggest test of the season so far in the Cyclones’ Big 12 opener against No. 4 Nebraska at Ames High School. Despite the loss, she can not only be named MVP of the match, but most improved as well.

She began the match with an abysmal -.143 hitting percentage and two kills during the first set that went to Nebraska. She needed some encouragement from coaches to stay in the game.

“After that first half of the set I was saying ‘Stay aggressive, you’re a great player,'” said coach Christy Johnson-Lynch. “I think she was just nervous. This was a huge match for her and she hasn’t been in this position very often.”

It wasn’t until halfway through the second set that Jenson managed to kick it up with a kill streak that helped the Cyclones take the set. By the time the end of the third set rolled around, Jenson had done a one-eighty, with a total 14 digs, 13 kills and a hitting percentage of .258.

The other side of the net held the biggest challenge for Jenson throughout the match, as she faced a huge right side block. Both Lindsey Licht and Morgan Broekhuis, the right side hitters for the Cornhuskers, measure in at 6-foot-5-inches.

Jenson said the block looked “really big” from her side of the net. During the first few sets, she expressed frustration on the court about the size of the block.

“I think at first I was just intimidated by their big block,” Jenson said, “but I think eventually I got past that and played my own game.”

Eventually Jenson did manage to play her own game, finding ways around the blockers. She started to find the holes and began hitting higher and with more confidence.

“She just went up against [the blockers] like they were nothing and powered through them a lot,” said setter Alison Landwehr. “She was just really consistent, even if the set wasn’t there she was going after it and making smart plays.”

During the fourth set, Jenson continued to play smart and had 16 kills and 16 digs while hitting at .324. Her focused attitude affected her teammates, keeping them in the game.

“She was really getting us fired up after the rallies, saying ‘Come on, let’s go'” said junior Caitlin Mahoney. “I really think her bringing up her intensity helped us out throughout the game.”

Jenson ended the match with 17 kills and 17 digs, both career highs and numbers that were higher than any posted by Nebraska. Despite the Cyclone loss, she was happy with her numbers and said she wants to keep working.

“She’s just been huge for us, I can’t say enough good things about her,” Johnson-Lynch said. “Although she struggled initially I thought it said a lot about her that she was able to stay with it and get aggressive.”

Jenson and the Cyclones can be seen in action again Sept. 25 at Ames High against Oklahoma.